Struck by Lightning - The Bond of Mates 1
by believer76
Summary: This is a story about Jasper and Bella and how they discover they are mates and how Edward gets what's coming to him. Warning major character deaths.


Struck by Lightning

The Bond of Mates 1

By Claudia L. Thornton

"Ready to go get some dinner, cowboy?" asked Bella her black eyes peering into her husband's. "We haven't eaten in a couple of weeks."

"Yes," Jasper replied as his dark eyes looked back at his wife of a hundred years full of love and devotion.

You might wonder how it is that Bella Whitlock, formerly Swan not only became a vampire but how she came to be married to Jasper Whitlock formerly Hale when he was with the Cullens and that is what this story is about.

"Let's go then, because my throat is burning something fierce," said Bella sending her mate her love and devotion.

"Mine to," Jasper agreed also sending his wife and mate his love which was all consuming.

"So should we take the motorcycle or just run?" asked Bella.

"You're choice, either is fine with me as it's dark enough we won't be seen if we run and we don't need to bother with sunglasses either."

"Run," Bella decided. "I'm in the mood for a good long run. Even though I've been a vampire for a century I still can't believe I can run so fast and not trip over my own two feet like I used to do when I was human."

"Yes you were quite clumsy as a human," Jasper chuckled, "but I still loved you even then. I am so glad that you chose to be with me and to spend an eternity at my side."

"There is no place else I'd rather be," Bella assured him wrapping her arms around him. "If I wasn't so hungry I'd show you how much you mean to me."

"We can do that when we get back," said Jasper sending his mate his desire, love and need which made her eyes go even darker with passion if that was possible.

"Let's hurry then," said Bella quickly heading for the door Jasper following chuckling.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

The run was exhilarating and even though she had been a vampire for quite a few years now she never got over the fact that she was no longer so clumsy. When you've been clumsy all your human life and even when your memories are fuzzy once you're a vampire you still remember being clumsy enough to trip on air even if it is only vaguely and besides her memories were much clearer then most vampires simply because she had agreed to be changed and and not been bitten against her will like most of vampire kind.

"We're here," Jasper said low enough that only another vampire could possibly have heard him much less understood what he'd said.

Bella looked around and noticed that they were in a very seedy part of town, a part of town where drug dealers and prostitutes made their homes and a place where people minded their own business and mostly stayed inside after dark.

When she had first become a vampire after being changed by Jasper she had wanted to be just like him and remembering the conversation they had had right after they had discovered they were mates she had decided to give human blood a try. Jasper was very happy with the decision as he had been thinking of going back to human blood after that conversation he'd had with Bella but hadn't quite decided yet. When Bella had decided to give drinking human blood a try he had been ecstatic with the decision because if she had chosen animal blood he would have done the same not wanting her to feel guilty or to put pressure on her.

He had assured her he would have been happy with either one but she had been determined to give human blood a try however simply saying that she was going to go after criminals like she had told him when they subject had come up about a week after they started seeing each other. It was sort of revenge for what had happened to not only her father but Jacob, Angela and Ben as well.

Bella looked around and spotted her target almost immediately. Over in the alley across the street were three men who were in the process of raping what looked like two preteen girls who could have been no more then ten.

Bella pointed and Jasper sent her his understanding without speaking just like he always did and they both immediately and silently headed in that direction.

As they got closer Jasper sent out emotions of lethargy to the girls so they would go to sleep and not be to witness what was about to happen. He then sent terror and fear to the three men so they would be so afraid that that they wouldn't be able to run. Ever since he had started to drink human blood again his talent had gotten much more precise and powerful then when he had been drinking animal blood and ever since had started feeding on criminals instead of innocent people the emotions that used to eat at him because of his talent had gone away. The criminals deserved what they got in his mind for all the evil they had done in their lives to innocent people. His favorite were those that took advantage of children who couldn't defend themselves and he knew that his mate felt the same.

By this point the three men were quaking in terror unable to move. The terror and fear sweetened the taste of the blood and Bella grabbed one of the men while Jasper grabbed another one. The third one however was kept from going anywhere by Bella's shield which she immediately brought up to cover him so he couldn't escape in case he got up the courage to try despite the fear and terror Jasper was sending out.

Bella's mouth latched onto the man's neck as she held him against the brick wall hard enough to crush the bones in his arm. The man cried out in pain which immediately turned to whimpers as Bella began to drain him of every drop of blood that was in his obese body.

The man was very fat so it took a little longer then normal to drain him but when she was done she still didn't feel quite sated and to the final man who was till under her shield.

Jasper joined her not a moment later and asked, "Share?"

It had become somewhat a ritual to them to share a meal side by side and Jasper had told her that was not the normal thing but that he believed their mating bond made the difference. Normally a vampire would growl if another of their kind got to close to where they were feeding and then protected their meal even if that meant tearing the other vampire apart due to sheer instinct.

Bella nodded and without another word passing between them Bella dropped her shield and both of them moved so quickly that they were no more then blurs and they both grabbed the last man from opposite sides, ignoring his whimpering and bit into opposite sides of his neck together.

As they drank they both heard the man's heart start to slow until not more then three minutes later the rapist's heart gave just a couple of final beats and stopped altogether.

Bella unlatched her teeth from the man's neck and tossed him into the dumpster along with the other two.

"Did I ever tell you that you are incredibly sexy when you feed darlin'?" asked Jasper with a smirk as he slowly licked a drop of blood from the corner of his wife's mouth.

"You tell me all the time," Bella smirked right back as she returned the favor licking her mate's bottom lip to get the little blood that was there.

"Would you like to do the honor or should I?" asked Jasper as he produced a lighter from his jeans pocket.

"You do it," said Bella as she went over to examine to two preteen girls.

Jasper nodded and lit some trash in the dumpster and quietly closed the lid so the smoke would not be noticed until the three men were no more then ashes.

"So what do you want to do with their almost victims?" asked Bella and even though her tone was even the anger and furiousness she was feeling told Jasper exactly what she thought of men who preyed on the innocent.

"Call the police station anonymously," said Jasper. "There's one not far from here. They won't remember anything as I still have them in a deep sleep. The police will never know how they got away from those men or what happened to the men themselves."

Bella nodded and watched as Jasper took out his cell phone and called 911.

Once the call was complete both Bella and Jasper left the area immediately so as not to be caught there.

"Are you full or do you need to hunt some more?" Bella asked her mate.

"I could use another," Jasper admitted. "That guy I drained was very small and even the one I shared with you didn't fill me up."

"Well you are a big guy and therefore need to feed more then someone like me who is smaller. As for me I am very full but I will come with you if you want to go hunting for another prospect."

"I would like that," said Jasper taking his wife's hand as they started to walk together down the dark streets looking for another target.

It wasn't more then a few minutes before Jasper spotted what appeared to be a prostitute and her pimp.

Bella watched as Jasper as he stalked towards his targets silently his lethal grace making her wet and aroused. The prostitute and her pimp were still unaware of what was coming and as he got closer the female slumped down on the ground unconscious and Bella knew that Jasper must have sent her some lethargy vibes so that she wouldn't be able to get away while he drained the man who was big and had muscles up under his to small shirt. Once the woman was unconscious Jasper was up on the man in less then a second and had him drained dry in minutes. Once the pimp's heart stopped Jasper released his neck and tossed him into the dumpster without ceremony.

"Are you going to drain her as well?" asked Bella coming forward once Jasper was done with the pimp.

"No I'm full," said Jasper taking Bella's small hand in his larger one and giving it a loving squeeze. "It's the reason I put her into a deep sleep so that she wouldn't be aware of what's going on. By the time she wakes up we'll be long gone and pimp will just have disappeared off the face of the earth. Hopefully she'll take the hint and do something worthwhile with her life. Look at her, underneath that makeup she can't be more than nineteen, still a child really. I know that the law says that children are grown up at eighteen and in my time you were considered grown up at sixteen, sometimes even fifteen but really eighteen to me is still considered young. She's barely had a chance to even live."

Jasper then took his wallet out of his pocket and took about five thousand dollars out and placed it in the woman's hand.

Bella watched and was not at all surprised at her mate's action for even though he would probably never admit it he cared about people, well, not criminals but decent people who had just had some bad breaks.

"Let's go home," said Jasper taking Bella's hand in his. "I have plans for us and they don't include us wearing any clothes at all. Don't think I can't smell your arousal."

Bella sent her husband all her lust, want and need of him and Jasper's member which had already been half cocked and a visible bulge through his jeans instantly stood at full attention creating even more of a bulge.

"Let's get out of here," Jasper ordered his voice a growl while sending his need, love and lust in return.

Bella who had already been wet before became even wetter and more aroused and they both started to run for home side by side holding hands the whole way there.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

They barely made it into the house before they were ripping the clothes off each other. They made love right there on the floor of the entryway their need for each other so intense that they just couldn't wait until they got to the bed.

Jasper placed open mouthed kisses all over Bella's neck and stomach and along the crescent shaped mark that he had put on her neck in order to claim her as his mate.

Bella of course had done the same thing to him and he had identical crescent shaped mark. Vampires were instinctual creatures especially while making love and the urge to mark your mate was a natural part of that. Of course the urge to bite was only there if you had found your true mate and you felt that pull towards each other that identified them.

Jasper had never felt the urge to mark Alice and had never felt the pull that he did to Bella. Jasper remembered the incident well as it had been during Bella's birthday party the day she had turned eighteen.

Flashback

"Why don't you open this one next Bella," Alice squealed clapping her hands together excitedly before handing Bella a brightly wrapped package. It was her eighteenth birthday and Alice had insisted on throwing a party for her even after she had said she didn't want one.

Bella complied, not looking at all excited or even happy to be the center of attention. As she pulled the paper away from the package a small cut appeared on her pinky finger from where it had ran across the edge of the paper the package was wrapped in.

"Damn, paper cut," Bella muttered looking at her finger for a second before she remembered that she was in a roomful of vampires.

She looked as her brain finally registered the noise and she noticed Emmett trying to hold Jasper back as he looked like he was struggling to get to her. All the other's but Carlisle, Jasper and Emmett had left the room.

"Here let me take care of that," said Carlisle.

"It's only a little paper cut, Carlisle," said Bella. "See it's already stopped bleeding," she added after sucking on her finger.

"You're lucky it wasn't worse," said Carlisle.

"Yeah I suppose so," Bella admitted looking at Jasper and noticed that he had finally stopped growling and trying to get past Emmett.

"I know so," said Carlisle calmly looking into Bella's eyes, "If Edward hadn't been called away on some business at the very last minute he probably would either have tried to push you out of the way and you would have ended up getting hurt worse or he would have tried to get to you to drain your blood since you are his singer. Maybe it's best if Emmett takes you home. We can talk about things later once we've all had a chance to get over what happened."

"Okay," said Bella thinking about what Carlisle had said. "I'll be back tomorrow though and I had better get some answers."

Bella looked at Jasper noticed that instead of the bloodlust she expected to see in his eyes she saw longing and somehow she instinctually knew that his longing was for her.

She had never admitted it but she had always liked Jasper and found him attractive. Unlike Edward, Jasper looked rugged and tough and while still inhumanely handsome like all vampires also didn't look like he stood in front of a mirror for hours making sure he looked perfect. Edward on the other hand looked like he spent hours in front of the mirror even if it wasn't true and didn't have that ruggedness about him that Jasper did. While Edward was around which was almost all the time he tried his best to keep her away from Jasper saying that his control over his bloodlust was weak, but somehow Bella knew in that instant that that wasn't true or at least it wasn't true when it concerned her. Bella looked at Jasper again and belatedly realized that the look in his eyes wasn't solely longing but also love, desire and lust.

"Come on little sis, let me take you home," said Emmett once he was sure that Jasper wasn't going to attack Bella once he let him go.

"I'm perfectly capable of driving myself, Emmett. I didn't suddenly become an invalid just because of a near accident," Bella snapped back. "For god's sake it was only a paper cut not major surgery."

Emmett looked hurt and Bella felt guilty and immediately remorseful for her sharp words. "I'm sorry, brother bear, but everybody needs to stop treating me as if I can't take care of myself and that includes Edward. I love you," she added giving the man she considered her bother as hard a hug as she could manage.

"I love you two little sis," said Emmett hugging her back until Bella was gasping for air.

"Air, Emmett, air," Bella gasped. "I do need to breathe you know."

"Whoops, sorry," Emmett said looking contrite for just a moment before his usual goodnatured expression was back.

"I tell you what I'll allow you to drive me home if it will make you happy, even of I am perfectly capable of getting there by myself."

Emmett grinned and caught the keys Bella tossed him.

Before she left Bella sent out her feeling's to Jasper trying to make him understand that she would like to talk to him alone about the feelings she had discovered that she had for him. She always had she realized in that instant as she searched her memories of the instances that her and Jasper's eyes had connected and how close to him she had always felt even though out of all the Cullens she knew him the least. Like an idiot she had been so taken with Edward's beauty and his old fashioned ways that she had ignored all the signs until now.

Jasper seemed to get the message because he sent his understanding back just as Bella walked out the door to her truck.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Hours later Bella went to her room after she finished eating dinner with Charlie and knew that Jasper would probably be waiting on her as he had sent her a text message.

"Jasper?" asked Bella quietly knowing that he would be able to hear her.

"Yes, Bella, I'm here," said Jasper. "Before you say anything let me apologize for trying to come at you when you cut your finger."

"I didn't blame you for a single second, Jasper but if it's my forgiveness you want you have it."

Jasper stared at her in astonishment for a moment and then said, "You are the most forgiving person I have ever met."

"Do you want to know why I never blamed you?" asked Bella gently understanding in her brown eyes.

"Why? I did try to attack you."

"Because I know that you would never hurt me at least not intentionally. It was only a single drop of blood and I'm sure you felt the bloodlust coming from every single vampire in the room except Carlisle since you are a empath. I'm sure when you have that much bloodlust coming at you from four different directions that it makes it more difficult for you to resist, but you did."

"You're right," Jasper admitted with a small, relieved smile. "There was bloodlust coming from everyone present except for Carlisle and it was almost enough to send me over the edge although not quite."

"It's a good thing Edward wasn't there then," Bella laughed a little self-consciously wondering how she was going to ask the questions she was dying to ask. "I'm sure that with him being my singer, if I understand the term right, that his bloodlust would have been ten times worse if not more."

"You're right," Jasper said sending her his pride.

Bella blushed embarrassed at the praise. She got the feeling that Jasper didn't give praise lightly.

"I'm glad he wasn't there and that he was called away at the very last minute. I would never forgive myself if I hurt you."

"I trust you," said Bella, "even if the others don't, I do."

"Your trust in me means more then you know," said Jasper.

"Why?" asked Bella curiously, eyebrow raised in question. "After all I'm just a human and your natural food source."

"In order to answer that I need to ask you a question," Jasper began seeming very uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"All right," said Bella seriously sensing that this was not the time for frivolity and that her very future was about to change but only if she was brave enough to reach out and grab it.

Jasper came to sit on the edge of the bed not more then a couple of feet from her and Bella couldn't help the blush that came to her cheeks or the fact that her heart began to beat a little faster at Jasper's closeness. She had always liked Jasper even though Edward had done his best to keep the two of them apart.

"What do you know about how vampires find their mates?"

"Nothing really," Bella answered immediately. "All I really know is that once a vampire finds a mate it is love at first sight, except deeper and that the love never fades. Also that if one mate dies the other usually, although not always follows him or her into death."

"All that is true," agreed Jasper, "but what you may not know is that if a vampires mate is human, which has happened by the way, although rarely, a single drop of blood is all that is needed to identify a vampire's mate. It is the smell of the blood you see. At a single sniff of the blood of a vampire's mate the bond is instantly activated and will only get stronger with time."

"What does that have to do with me?" asked Bella her confusion evident. Jasper didn't answer wanting Bella to figure it out for herself, for if she did it would be much more likely that she would accept that they were indeed mates. She had a choice on whether to love him or not simply because she was human, while he however had absolutely no choice and would have to stay near her until she died of old age or she chose to be with him as a vampire. Once a vampire found a mate they were irrevocably bound together or at least he was, Bella however still had a choice.

"It has to do with the paper cut at the birthday party doesn't it?" asked Bella quietly pulling Jasper out of his thoughts. "You smelled my blood because of my clumsiness. Does that mean that you realized that we are meant to be mates? That Edward and I were never meant to be?"

"I did smell your blood and yes we are mates which is why I'm glad Emmett stopped me from attacking you until I could get ahold of my bloodlust. Also I have to tell you that you unlike me, have a choice Bella," said Jasper although Bella could tell that it pained him to admit that probably because he feared rejection.

"What do you mean?" asked Bella cocking her head looking directly into his golden eyes trying to understand.

"You have choice simply because you are human. Since you are not a vampire you have a choice on whether or not to accept the bond. You don't have to, I on the other hand have absolutely no choice. I will never love another and should you decide to remain human and not accept the mating bond then I will always be nearby being as much a part of your life as you allow. When you die whether it is ten years from now or fifty it will not be long before I follow you into death."

Bella absorbed this quietly knowing in her heart that Jasper was being honest with her unlike Edward who always tried to hide things from her simply because he thought of her a frail human that would die at slightest bit of truth. It was true he was stronger then her physically but that didn't mean she couldn't take care of herself.

"What about Alice?" asked Bella. "This will hurt her."

"That's true enough," Jasper admitted, "but both Alice and I knew before we ever got involved with each other that we weren't true mates and that one day our relationship would end when one of us found the person we were supposed to be with for the rest of our existence. Alice and I did love each other in a way but because we weren't mates we would have eventually parted whether one or both of us found the person we were supposed to be with or not even if it was a hundred years down the road."

"What about Edward? I don't think he's going to let me go without a fight. You know how stubborn he is and how he always has to be right."

"I can take care of Edward," said Jasper. "I'm hoping he will accept the inevitable because I don't want to be forced to kill him mainly because Carlisle and Esme have always treated me with kindness. I will if I have to though because as mates we are irrevocably tied together."

Bella smiled at Jasper's tone for she could tell that he didn't particularly care for Edward. "You don like Edward very much do you?" asked Bella with a raised eyebrow while tilting her head in a gesture of curiosity.

"No, not particularly," Jasper responded honestly. "I think he is a judgmental, nosy, controlling, know-it-all, who doesn't know how to stay out of other people's business or thoughts. He's always judging me because of my past and I could feel his contempt and hate for me anytime he saw me."

"What about the rest of the family?" asked Bella.

"Well I'm closest to Rosalie and Emmett. Emmett is just fun to be around and is always good for a laugh. He is also smarter then anyone except Rose or me gives him credit for. As for Rosalie and I we just understand each other. I think it's because we've had to play the role of twins so often. Carlisle and Esme are okay and are good people but don't really understand my past and what I had to do in order to survive, Esme in particular. I think it is just because they are both kind hearted and to inherently good to truly understand evil. They're not bad people they just haven't experienced what I have and I suppose there are some things that are hard to understand unless you've actually been through it or something similar."

"And Alice?" asked Bella not sure if she really wanted to know the answer but feeling like she had to ask anyway if only for her peace of mind.

"Alice has always been my best friend and for a while we were lovers, but we really haven't been anything more then friends ever since we moved to Forks. Alice saw that I would meet my mate soon although she never told me it was you. How she has kept the fact that you are my mate from Edward I have no idea unless she didn't know who it would actually be."

"Tell me one thing Jasper and I want an honest answer," Bella said her expression intense.

"Alright," Jasper replied running a hand though his long, curly blond hair nervously. "Fire away."

"If I did decide that I wanted to be with you not just as a human, but as a vampire would you be willing to change me?"

"Of course I would," Jasper answered immediately with no trace of hesitation. "All you have to do is ask and I would do it. You are my mate and I want to be with you for eternity but it is always your choice. I would never force you to go though the transformation to become a vampire but if it was what you really wanted then I would do it."

"Thank you for your honesty," said Bella kissing his cheek in thanks blushing a little at her own boldness. Kissing Jasper even if it was just his cheek felt right. "If it had been Edward he would either have avoided the question altogether, dazzled me into forgetting what I was talking about or tried to convince me that I didn't know what I wanted and then would try to come up with excuses for me to remain human."

Jasper snorted in amusement and said, "That ought to be proof all by itself that you aren't mates because when a vampire finds a mate if that person is human it is very hard to resist biting that person and turning them into a vampire immediately."

"You don't seem to be having a hard time," Bella pointed out reasonably.

"Oh but I am," Jasper assured her his eyes going dark. "It's just that I've had years of experience of doing things that are hard to do. Resisting drinking human blood for instance is very hard when that is all you've had for almost a hundred years."

"How old are you?" asked Bella curiously. "I don't mean to be nosy or anything."

"You aren't being nosy as my mate you deserve to know my story, but not tonight. It's late and if I give you anymore to think about you won't be able to sleep."

Bella looked at the clock and realized that it was almost midnight and she had school tomorrow.

"I want to try to see if this bond thing works out," Bella told Jasper almost shyly. "We hardly know anything about each other since you've always been in the background whenever I visited the Cullens but I would like a chance to really get to know you."

"The only reason we've never had a chance to get to know each other before is because of Edward," Jasper muttered contemptuously. "I only avoided you so as not to cause strife within the family."

"Well that's true," Bella agreed. "I've come to realize that Edward is very controlling. I used to be very independent. I practically had to raise my mom you know, make sure the bills were paid on time, cook and things like that. If I had left it up to Renee we would have ended up on the street. Growing up like I did makes a person depend on themselves but ever since Edward and I started seriously dating he started controlling my every move, who I could be friends with, where I could go, even what I wear. I've been thinking about this for a while in the rare instances that Edward isn't with me and I had decided even before I got that paper cut that I was going to end things with him. The relationship we have isn't very healthy as it is mostly one sided. Both partners in a relationship should be equals and Edward has never treated me that way. I'm not sure he knows how to really love somebody."

"We'll he was turned into a vampire at seventeen and once you are changed you are stuck not only agewise but maturity wise as well," Jasper reminded her sending her his pride at her decision causing her to blush for at least the fourth or fifth time that night. "Don't get me wrong I'n not saying that to excuse him but just so you know change for a vampire can be very hard and they first must realize that they need to. Edward is stubborn though and I'm not sure what it would take to get him to grow up. There's no point of trying to point it out to him because it would do no good. He's got to realize on his own that he needs to change and I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon. Now you should get some sleep, Edward should be home day after tomorrow."

"In that case I am going to have figure out a way to end our relationship by then and hopefully without hurting his feelings to much."

"I'm not going to tell you what to do but I suggest that you talk to Carlisle before he gets home. Hopefully he can help get Edward to understand that this was your decision and that it wasn't influenced in any way by the rest of the family. Also he knows how to block his thoughts if he has to so Edward won't be able to get any warning about what the conversation will be about because if he did know in advance that you were intending to break up with him he would catch you alone and whisk you away to try to convince you that I was a bloodthirsty monster who couldn't possibly have any feelings for a mere human as to me you are food," Jasper said contemptuously his dislike of Edward obvious in every word he spoke.

"That's a good suggestion and much better then me trying to handle it on my own. Would you be there with me when I do discuss it with Carlisle?" asked Bella running a hand though her brown hair in a gesture of nervousness ignoring Jasper's statement about Edward for the moment although deep down she knew it was true.

"Much better and of course I will be there if that is what you want," Jasper agreed kissing her forehead almost reverently. "Edward could hurt you on accident if he is upset. He does tend to lash out when he is angry and if you get caught in the middle then you could be seriously hurt and I could never stand to see you in pain. Now go to sleep and I'll see you in the morning," Jasper added using his power to make her sleepy.

Bella yawned and snuggled down under the covers. "Good night, Jasper.

"Good night, Bella," Jasper whispered softly kissing her forehead. "I love you."

Bella sighed and seemed to settle into a deeper sleep at his words.

Jasper gazed down at her tenderly and gave her one more kiss this time on the lips before jumping out the window and running towards home. He knew he would have some explaining to do when he go there and he wasn't looking forward to it.

End Flashback

Both Jasper and Bella simply lay cuddling not saying a word. This time alone together, lost in their own thoughts was a trait they both shared. The Cullens had always had to have everything all big, expensive and grand while both of them always preferred the simpler things in life like sitting together with good books, watching the sun rise and set or simply being together not doing anything but holding each other.

Their home was much smaller and simpler then the Cullen mansion which could have been in one of those magazines of rich and famous homes. Also without Alice around there was no argument over what they would wear, neither of them needed designer labels to be happy and were more content in jeans and t-shirts instead of slacks and fancy shirts and thank god there was no more Bella Barbie, Bella thought with a chuckle to herself.

"I love you so much, Bella," Jasper said quietly holding her a little tighter and kissing her on the forehead. "I don't know what I would do without you now that I have found you."

"I love you to, cowboy and if we are lucky neither one of us will ever have to find out about living without the other," Bella responded sending him all her love.

"So what do you want to do today?"

"Well I kind of need to shop for a few things," said Bella very glad that she couldn't blush anymore. "Underwear especially, considering how you like to rip it off me at every opportunity."

"I do, don't I?" asked Jasper with a smirk not looking the least bit ashamed of himself.

"Yes, you do, but since I do the same to you I can't really say anything," said Bella who would have been blushing if she could have. "And it's not like I mind anyway."

"It's almost sunrise," said Jasper after a few more minutes of comfortable silence. "Luckily the weather report said it is supposed to be cloudy today so it will be a good day to go into town." Vampires of course couldn't go out in the sun and not because they would turn to ashes when hit by direct sunlight like in the movies, but because their skin glittered like a million of tiny diamonds.

"I know," said Bella getting up and beginning to get dressed.

Once they were both dressed they headed outside and laid on the lounger that was big enough for them to lay side by side although Bella usually preferred to lay on Jasper's chest with her head directly on his shoulder while breathing in his scent.

"Good morning, dad," Bella began quietly just like she did every morning. "I love you and I miss you. I am very happy in this life I have chosen and I love Jasper so much."

After her words Bella fell silent and just watched the sun rise over the mountain.

"Well, cowboy, I suppose I should be going if I want to get to the mall as soon as it opens," said Bella rising from where she was laying between Jasper's legs giving him a passionate, love filled kiss.

"I'll come with you," said Jasper. "I'd like to get me some more books to read anyway."

Jasper read just about anything although his favorite was history but he loved westerns, action, adventure, thriller, mystery, historical fiction, even some sci-fi and fantasy. Really when you had eternity you had to do something to fill the time and between the two of them they had quite the library that had thousands of books most of which were Jasper's although Bella had quite a few as well.

"And let's not forget our a hundredth year anniversary is next month," Bella added.

"As if I could ever forget our wedding anniversary," said Jasper. "I already have plans and no I'm not going to tell you what they are," he added as he felt his wife's curiosity.

Bella pouted for a moment but Jasper refused to fall for it.

"Very well, let's get going," said Bella giving up for the moment as she and Jasper walked out to her truck hand in hand.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

They got to the mall in no time with the way that Jasper drove. Of course Bella couldn't really complain as she loved to drive just as fast now that she was no longer human. Bella vaguely remembered always being afraid of how fast all the Cullens drove before she was a vampire, as her father had been a cop after all, but now that she was a vampire and therefore indestructible she loved to drive at over a hundred and fifty or two hundred miles an hour whenever possible.

"Why don't we meet up at the bookstore in an hour?" Bella suggested. "I shouldn't be any longer then that."

"That's perfect and will give me time to run my own errands. Make sure you send me a text message if you are going to be longer then that and I will do the same."

Bella nodded and gave him a quick kiss before headed towards the lingerie store.

No more the a minute later she entered the lingerie store and started looking around.

It used to be that she would get embarrassed every time she entered a place like this, but that had been before she was really, truly in love and before she had matured and realized that she needed to stop acting like a silly, little girl.

"Can I help you, miss?" asked the saleslady approaching Bella.

Bella peered through her sunglasses at the saleslady and noticed that she had a very nice scent that made her throat burn a little but not enough for her to lose control.

"No that's okay I know what I am looking for, but thank you," answered Bella politely wondering briefly if this girl was like her because most people gave them a wide berth sensing the predator within them.

The girl nodded and quickly scurried away. Maybe not, just braver then most, Bella thought.

Bella wandered about the aisle looking at the racks and quickly had about twenty different things in the style and colors she liked before she headed to the dressing room to try them on.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Twenty minutes later she had checked out and had about four different bags with thirty different outfits.

That should be enough to last awhile, thought Bella with a chuckle as she exited the store. She still had a few minutes before she had to meet Jasper so she headed to the shoe store to see if she could find Jasper a new pair of boots as his other ones were all worn out.

Fifteen minutes later she had purchased him two different pairs of western boots in his size and the style he preferred and had just enough time to go by the clothing store to get Jasper a new ten gallon hat if she hurried.

She entered the bookstore just a couple of minutes early and started looking at the mystery section for something to read.

Flashback

"You and Bella wanted to talk to me in private Jasper?" asked Carlisle as he sat down at a table at a little cafe in Seattle. His expression was curious but he waited for Jasper or Bella to begin. It was the next day and Jasper had called Carlisle's cell phone when he was sure that he was already at the hospital so he wouldn't be overheard.

"Yes we did," said Jasper as Bella sat silently beside him holding his hand under the table. "We wanted to talk to you away from where the family could overhear."

"What's this about?" asked Carlisle curiosity radiating off him although his expression and tone of voice was neutral.

"Well the other day when Bella got that paper cut and everybody in the family assumed I was trying to attack her which was not the case as the moment I smelled her blood I knew immediately that we were supposed to be mates," said Jasper softly. "However I am grateful to Emmett for being there to hold me back for I was overcome by bloodlust for just a brief second and not because of Bella 's paper cut but because I could feel the family's struggle to not attack her because of the blood. You know I am a empath and that I feel other peoples emotions and it was the family's bloodlust that almost made me attack Bella, not my own."

Carlisle sat there in stunned silence for a few seconds when Jasper had finished his explanation trying to absorb what he had just learned.

"Bella, how do you feel about this?" asked Carlisle finally.

"Well, I've always been attracted to Jasper even though Edward did his level best to keep me as far away from him as he could and I told him that I would like to see if this whole mate thing works out," answered Bella almost shyly. " As for Edward I've been thinking for a while about breaking it off. I thought at one point that we were meant to be, but I have come to realize over the last few months that Edward has been very controlling since we started dating, even in the very beginning. Over the last few months he's tried to control who I can be friends with, where I go and even what I wear. He's made more then one negative comment about my clothes and doesn't seem to care that I like simple inexpensive things. Also trying to get an honest answer out of him when I ask him something is like trying to get get water out of a stone. As I was telling Jasper the other day he'll either avoid answering or dazzle me until I forget what my question was. He seems to be under the mistaken impression that I will simply faint or die at the slightest bit of truth. Lastly he never listens to my opinion or if he does he ignores it and does what he thinks is best no matter what I say. It's like my opinion doesn't matter and that annoys me."

Carlisle thought about it for a few minutes and realized what Bella said was true.

"This is going to cause trouble, you realize," said Carlisle finally looking up.

"We know," said Jasper. "But you know what finding your mate means. Once a vampire finds a mate it is irreversible and eternal and if she dies, I die."

"I know but Edward isn't going to take the news well," said Carlisle with a sigh running a hand through his hair in a very human gesture. "I love my son but I'm also not unaware of his faults, pride and stubbornness being two of them and he loves Bella."

"But you also know that if they did get married or even if they just stayed together eventually they would break up because if you aren't mates that eventually happens whether you have found your other half or not."

"That's true enough and even though it is going to cause problems with the family, Edward especially I will help you break the news to him gently if that is what you want," Carlisle admitted. "I love both you and Bella to and it's not like you asked for this to happen but fate seems to have taken matters into its own hands."

"Thank you, Carlisle," said Bella getting up and coming around the table to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"You're welcome, Bella," said Carlisle and Jasper had the impression if he could have been blushing he would have been. All three of them just sat at there at that cafe table for the next couple of hours discussing softly how to handle the situation and in Jasper's and Carlisle's cases pretending to sip their drinks while dumping them into a nearby plant when nobody was looking.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"What no!" Edward shouted in fury as Bella broke the news that she and Jasper were mates. "How can you even talk to him? He is nothing but a stone cold killer."

Jasper growled but Bella rubbed his arm soothingly and sent him all her love and trust.

Jasper immediately calmed down and put an arm around Bella's shoulder.

"Edward, son, not only was that very rude and uncalled for—" Carlisle began.

"How can you take his side?" Edward interrupted rudely. "You know about his past and what he was."

"Yes, I do, son," said Carlisle calmly, "but do you really believe I would have accepted him into this family if I thought for a moment that he had any ulterior motives? Jasper was taught of no other way of life except feeding off humans until he met Alice. Did he ask to be turned and to live the life he did for nearly a hundred years, you already know the answer to that, Edward. We all have our faults and that includes you."

"He's using his ability to make her think that they are mates," Edward insisted trying to approach Bella but stopped when Jasper stepped in front of her radiating anger, menace and protectiveness.

"Edward normally I'm very proud of you but right now you're acting like a five year old and refuse to listen to reason," Carlisle admonished.

Edward crossed his arms and refused to answer.

"They came to me yesterday and explained to me that when Jasper smelled Bella's blood at her birthday party he knew immediately that she was his mate."

"But she's human," Edward protested sounding like a petulant child who wasn't getting his way. "Vampires don't mate with humans."

"And yet you claimed I was your mate," Bella pointed, "but now I think that you were only fascinated by the fact that you can't read my mind or maybe that I am your singer."

"It's true that most vampires only mate with other vampires but it has been known to happen, just look at how Rosalie knew Emmett was her mate as soon as she saw him," Carlisle added. "I hate to say this but I've been having doubts for a while about whether or not Bella was your mate. I just didn't say anything because Bella didn't."

"And why would you be having doubts?" asked Bella curiously with a raised eyebrow trying to remain calm as this was not a subject that had been discussed yesterday.

"Because of the fact that so far Edward has refused to change you. If you were really mates than he would have wanted you with him for the rest of his existence and yet time and time again he has refused to turn you into a vampire even after you said it was what you wanted. He went out of his way to suck the venom out of you in that ballet studio in Phoenix instead of just letting you complete the change. After that incident I began to suspect that though Edward might be infatuated with you and maybe even loved you in his way that you weren't mates."

"What? You can't believe that," Edward protested.

"Edward, you know how I discovered Esme and you know I went out of my way to change her when I discovered her almost dead in that hospital morgue. I did it without hesitation because the vampire part of me knew we were meant to be together. As I just explained if you and Bella were really meant to be together, you would change her and yet you have refused on at least four occasions that I am aware of."

"But he's a monster," Edward protested angrily, sulking because he wasn't getting his way.

Bella rolled her eyes and Jasper could feel her anger which he knew was directed at Edward and not at him.

"Edward I wasn't going to bring this up, but you give me no choice. Ever since we started dating you have done your best to control my every move. You have tried to tell me who I can be friends with, where I am allowed to go, and you've even made some negative comments on the clothes I wear. Unlike you and Alice I go for comfort and I don't need something that cost a hundred dollars or more simply because it is designer. You never listen to my opinion figuring it doesn't count and when I don't agree with your decisions you dazzle me until I do. I've come to realize that what I thought we had isn't a healthy relationship. A relationship is supposed to be about a couple making decisions together. It is supposed to be about equals starting a life together. Now I know you were born in 1901 and I know you have some old fashioned values, which I used to admire about you but I am not a damn robot that can be ordered around. I have a right for you to listen to my opinion and take it into account and not just ignore it as if I had never spoken in the first place. Also I have a right to be friends and go wherever I want without you if I so choose and you have no right to tell me who I can and cannot be friends with. I've been thinking about this a lot and I came to a decision even before my birthday party that our relationship, if you can call it that is entirely one sided. I admit at one point I thought I loved you and maybe if you had treated me as an equal instead of a pet that didn't have a brain then possibly we could have worked." Bella finally fell silent and everyone except Jasper looked shocked.

"I was trying to protect you," Edward protested.

"There is a difference between protecting someone and trying to control their lives," Bella said quietly but intensely. "Before I met you I was very independent and used to making my own decisions. When I lived with my mother, I was the one responsible for paying the bills and cooking because if I didn't do it it wouldn't get done and we would have ended up on the street. As long as we've been together I've never felt like my real self because I was trying to be a person that you would take an interest in. If I had showed you my real personality you probably wouldn't have given me the time of day."

Edward still looked furious although he was at least listening.

"I should never have tried to change for you and it will never happen again. What all this means is that you and me will never work. Our personalities are simply to different and we will mix like oil and water since I am going to be my real self and not some made up character out of a bad novel."

"We can try to work it out," Edward pleaded.

"No, I am truly sorry Edward, I am, but I will no longer be dazzled into being pushed around like a damn chess piece in the direction you want me to go."

"And what's different about him?" Edward sneered glaring at Jasper with hatred and contempt.

"He really listens to me and takes my opinion into account. He doesn't make me feel like I can't make my own decisions and he doesn't tell me who I can and cannot be friends with. He protects me, but he doesn't smother me or treat me like some kind of giant porcelain doll that has the brains of a gnat."

"And if he let's his bloodlust get the better of him and he drains you?"

"I am incapable of harming her," Jasper said the anger and fury in his voice evident. "You should know that mates cannot harm each other and don't you even dare open your mouth a say that I'm just using her or that I am controlling her emotions. I know you don't like me and the feeling is mutual but even you should know enough about me to know that if I had really wanted to I could have drained her when Alice and I were guarding her in Phoenix and Alice wouldn't have been able to stop me before it was to late. I didn't though and I went out of my way to protect her even though I didn't realize we were mates back then."

"It's true, son," Carlisle confirmed gently. "Mates cannot harm each other."

"Then why didn't you realize she was your mate at the ballet studio in Phoenix, huh?" demanded Edward rudely obviously not taking the news well. "After all her blood was all over the place."

"I was a little to distracted with fighting and then burning James to really notice," said Jasper with a shrug. "If I had been paying attention back then and taken a good whiff I would have known immediately that Bella was my mate."

"Get real," Edward muttered sullenly.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen!" Bella yelled getting the three vampires attention. "Now that I have your attention all I am going to say is you are acting like a brat and I have no idea what I ever saw in you. I've babysat three year olds with better manners."

Edward looked ashamed of himself for a moment and then furious again.

"I've tried to be nice and break up with you gently but if you are going to act like a three year old who hasn't gotten his way then I am going to treat you like one. I don't care that you are over a hundred fucking years old and I don't give a damn anymore that I once thought you were handsome and nice, the way you are treating somebody who is supposed to be your brother is shameful. You apparently don't know Jasper very well if you are willing to believe the worst of him simply because I broke up with you which is your own fucking fault for treating me like some kind of goddamn pet who doesn't have anything in-between her ears but air. Just because you are over a century old does not mean you know everything. Age is supposed to bring wisdom but it seems to have passed you by. I think your brain was frozen when you were changed because as long as you have lived you still judge people for their pasts. I am only going to say this once so listen well, you are a selfish, judgmental, self-centered prick and I don't want anything else to do with you. I don't want you in my room or anywhere near me. If I discover that you have been watching me I'll let Jasper deal with you and I'm quite sure that he can very easily tear you apart."

"Oh I can, very easily actually," Jasper drawled out in a growl. "The only thing that is preventing me from tearing you apart right now for the way you have talked to my Bella is my respect for Carlisle and Esme who have always treated me as one of the family, so I suggest you don't push it."

Carlisle watched the confrontation mentally shaking his head at the way Edward was acting. He had never been more ashamed of his oldest son. In a way he could understand it since he knew that being in love could make you act irrationally but Bella was right that Edward was acting like a three year old that had been denied a favorite treat. It's not like Bella and Jasper had asked for this to happen but fate had had a different idea which was nobodies fault.

Finally Carlisle was pulled out of his thoughts as Edward pushed past Jasper and pushed Bella into a wall as he stormed out of Carlisle's office in a rage.

"Bella are you okay?" asked Jasper worriedly as he helped her to her feet.

"I'm fine," Bella assured him giving him a sot kiss. "I'm even more glad now that I broke up with him for I think I just saw the true face of Edward Cullen."

"I'm sorry about my son, Bella. You didn't deserve to be treated like that, neither of you do. I can understand his actions to some degree and no that doesn't mean I excuse them, but when you are in love or even just believe you are you can act very irrationally. I'm hoping he'll come around once he has time to think about his actions."

"Even if he apologizes I will not take him back," said Bella firmly.

"I don't expect you to," Carlisle assured her. "One thing you probably don't know about mates is that mate bonds are considered sacred in the vampire world and to interfere with one—well the Volturi usually leave the punishment up to the offended party. If you have to you can file a complaint with them although I'm hoping getting them involved will not be necessary if only because I would hate to see my son destroyed if that is what you demanded as punishment for his offence and so would Esme."

"We'll leave them out of this if we can," Jasper promised and Bella nodded.

"I appreciate that," said Carlisle with a sad expression. "I love my son, but I love both of you to and in this situation Edward is clearly in the wrong. Now we had better tell everyone what is going on as I'm sure they are wondering why Edward stormed out of here."

Bella and Jasper nodded and followed Carlisle out of the office holding hands.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

They entered the living room to find the rest of the family waiting for them. "What in the hell is going on?" Rose demanded from where she was sitting on Emmett's lap.

"Rosalie, language," Esme admonished

"Why did Edward come storming through here looking angry enough to kill," Emmett added.

"Emmett, watch your language," Esme ordered for the second time in less then ten seconds.

"Sorry, Esme," said Emmett and Rose together neither looking sorry or contrite causing both Jasper and Bella to snicker quietly.

"How much of the conversation did you overhear?" asked Carlisle to the rest of the family.

"Uh just the last little bit of Bella yelling at Edward for acting like a three year old," said Emmett snickering again looking proud of his little sister for standing up for herself. "We just got in from hunting like two minutes ago."

"I'll let Bella and Jasper explain since this conversation is about them," said Carlisle. "Jasper, Bella if you will."

"The night of the birthday party when Bella cut her finger opening that present and I smelled her blood I realized that we are mates. Emmett I am actually glad you held me back because I was lost in the haze of my bloodlust for a few seconds and not because of Bella's paper cut but because I could feel everybody else struggling to not attack her because of that drop of blood."

Everybody in the room but Carlisle and Bella looked stunned at Jasper's words.

"What about Edward?" asked Esme looking upset then immediately apologized looking contrite, "I'm sorry Bella, Jasper I don't mean it like that. I just meant that Edward must have been devastated when you told him."

"Esme, we didn't intend for this to happen," said Bella gently. "In a way I will always love Edward, he was my first crush after all, but on the other hand the way he has acted during this entire thing leaves a lot to be desired. I'm not saying he doesn't have a right to grieve since I realize that I was his first crush as well but he also doesn't have a right to act like a child who has been told no sweets before dinner. He all but accused Jasper of manipulating my emotions in order to get me to fall in love with him and even if I don't know him very well I know he is to honorable to do something like that."

"That's just Edward for you," said Rose shaking her head not looking the least surprised at Edward's attitude. "Edward has never liked me and the feeling is mutual. I've always thought of him as an overindulged, judgmental spoiled rotten brat."

"Rose!" Esme protested.

"Esme, I'm not going to apologize for my words," Rose said sounding uncharacteristically gentle. "The way he has acted through this whole thing just proves it."

"I'm afraid that she is right, dear," said Carlisle. "Edward is acting like a spoiled child instead of a hundred plus vampire."

Rose looked surprised for a moment then vindicated that Carlisle actually agreed with her and she smirked.

"So what happened next?" asked Emmett eagerly and Jasper and Bella explained the whole conversation up in Carlisle's office.

When they were both done Rose said, "Bella I want you to know the only reason I acted like I never like you is because I thought you were letting Edward push you around and make your decisions for you. I suppose the way I kept being so rude to you was my way of trying to get you to stand up for yourself."

"Thank you Rose. I can understand your reasons and I forgive you," said Bella. "I hope we can be friends now."

"I would like that," said Rose giving Bella a hug.

"I'm proud of you little sis, for standing up for yourself," said Emmett giving Bella a hug. "And bro I'm sorry I assumed the worst about you and that you were going to attack Bella."

"Thank you Emmett," said Jasper feeling his sincerity. "It was an honest mistake since I know my control has never been the best. Also know that I will always be grateful to you for holding me back for those few brief seconds until I could get control of myself for if I had hurt Bella or worse drained her I would never have forgiven myself, so thanks."

"You're welcome," said Emmett feeling proud that he had stopped Jasper from hurting Bella and not because of his own bloodlust like everyone had originally thought but because of the family's. Jasper was after all an empath and would have felt his and everybody else's feelings of bloodlust and that he had been able to get himself under control so quickly after having so many other people's emotions sent at him so suddenly said a lot for the amount of control Jasper really had. "But if you hurt my little sis, you will regret it," Emmett threatened.

"Don't worry Emmett, as much as I appreciate you looking out for me Jasper could never hurt me. I know this in my heart not just my head."

"I'm very happy for you two," said Emmett and everybody including Alice who had been silent up until now offered their congratulations as well.

End Flashback

"Darlin'? You about ready to go?" asked Jasper as he came up to Bella looking through the classical book section.

"Just about," said Bella having about a dozen books in the basket she was carrying. "I'm ready," she finally said a moment later.

"Is there anywhere else you need to go since we're here? You know that we don't come to the mall often."

"Well why don't we go by the music store while we are here," Bella suggested. "We need some new music as we have listened to all the others so often that we could sing every word of them with no trouble at all."

"That's true, but really we could have sung them from the first time we listened to them thanks to our infallible memories. Anyway, that's fine with me. Is there anywhere you want to go after that?"

"Well I could use some new clothes and I'm sure you can as well considering the way we like to rip them off each other when we make love," said Bella with a smirk all the time sending her mate her love and lust.

"Very well then, let's buy these books and then go by the music store first and save the clothes shopping for last."

Bella nodded and took Jasper's hand in her's as her mate took the basket with all their books as well as most of her bags out of her hands.

Bella didn't say anything as Jasper took almost all her bags simply because after all these years she was used to him carrying things for her. She had tried to protest in the beginning but she had finally come to understand that he had been born in the 1840's and back then it was just polite to carry a lady's bag for her and some of his upbringing still remained with him even after his change.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

A couple of hours later they were finally done at the mall and they headed out to the car so they could head home.

Jasper of course had already made one trip out to the car to put all of their bags in the back and had then met Bella at the music store not more then five minutes later. They had then spent almost an hour looking through the selection and even bought half a dozen discs. The clothing store had been a much more relaxing experience then whenever Bella had shopped with Alice. It wasn't that Bella didn't miss her friend but Alice when she had gone shopping had to visit every store and was always in a rush to get to the next one. With Jasper though it was a more relaxed experience and they might buy an outfit or two but they didn't have to try on the whole goddamn store and then spend upwards of two or three thousand dollars every time they shopped.

She had even taken to enjoying shopping which was not something she had ever believed she would say.

"What do you think about going to visit Peter and Char in Texas?" asked Jasper as they sped towards home.

"I would love to," Bella answered immediately. "You know I love Uncle Peter and Char and we haven't seen them in over a year. Maybe we could even invite Emmett and Rosalie along. I miss both of them, but Emmett especially."

"That's a good idea," said Jasper in agreement. "I miss Emmett and Rosalie to you know and we haven't seen either one in almost three years."

"I know they have been touring Europe but they could visit occasionally," said Bella a little wishfully as she really missed her big brother Em.

"I'll contact them and see what their plans are," Jasper promised.

The rest of the drive was silent neither one of them really needing words in order to have a conversation thanks to Jasper being an empath. They arrived home in no time and Jasper was around the truck a second to open the door for his wife.

"Thank you, Jasper, you are always such a gentleman."

"It's what my momma raised me to be," said Jasper helping her out of the truck even though he knew she didn't need it. "And don't think I didn't feel that lust you were sending me earlier," he added.

"What lust, cowboy?" asked Bella with an innocent expression on her face.

"You know perfectly well what I am talking about, darlin'," said Jasper with a grin picking his wife up in his arms and carrying her inside. "You nearly caused me to come right there in the bookstore with as much lust as you were sending out."

"Can I help it if think you are the most handsome man on the planet and that I want you all the time?" asked Bella her voice turning husky with desire as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss Jasper on the lips passionately. "Even after all these years I still desire you all the time and if I had my way we would never leave the bed except to feed."

"If that is what you want darlin', I am perfectly okay with it," said Jasper radiating love, lust, desire and smugness. "I would love to make love to you for days on end like we did on our honeymoon. We could stay in bed for a year if you really wanted to except to hunt as you pointed out earlier. I wouldn't mind that at all."

"I bet you wouldn't," Bella smirked trying to hide her growing desire for her mate. She was already wet for him and in need of having him inside of her. "I wouldn't mind staying in bed with you either for the next ten or twenty years but unfortunately we have a responsibility to the Volturi and they are going to call on us sooner or later."

"We could always retire," Jasper suggested. "We have been working for them for a long time."

"Well I wouldn't mind temporarily retiring, say for the next fifty or a hundred years, but I wouldn't want to retire permanently."

"If we do temporarily retire, we could travel without interruptions," said Jasper as every time they wanted to just travel and not worry about work it always seemed to interfere in one way or another.

"Let's think about it some more before we decide," Bella suggested. "Right now though I have other plans for you that don't include us talking about work."

"Oh?" asked Jasper with a knowing smirk, "And what are those plans?"

"Well," said Bella walking up to her mate seductively, "they include, you, me, our bed and me sucking on your penis as you come in my mouth and that is only the beginning of what I have planned."

Jasper gulped, his desire not only visible in his ruby red eyes and on his face but also in the waves of emotions he was sending out with his ability.

"Let's quit talking about it and do it," said Jasper his voice voice thick with desire and lust.

"As you wish," said Bella seductively walking slowly into the bedroom even though every instinct, feeling and hormone she had was demanding that she ponce on her mate and take him right there. By the time she got to the bed a second later she was already completely naked her clothes strewn in a trail from the hallway to the bed.

Jasper was beside her not a second later also buck naked and the general was already standing tall with the tip leaking semen and venom.

"Well, what do we have here," Bella murmured running her tongue up and down her mate's long, hard length.

Jasper let out a long continuous moan as his wife's warm tongue ran up and down his member.

"Hm, you taste so good," said Bella. "I could just eat you all up."

"You're welcome to eat me up as often as you want to darlin'," said Jasper his voice sounding out of breath and thick with lust.

"Why thank you, I think I will," said Bella with a smirk taking the general into her mouth swallowing its whole length and then began sucking on it like it was a sausage or a lollipop.

Jasper moaned again a low hoarse sound his fingers digging into the mattress.

While she was sucking on her husband's member Bella used her hands and tangled them in Jasper's hair.

"Darlin' I'm about to come," Jasper warned a few minutes later his head thrown back and his eyes rolled back in his head.

"Come for me, cowboy, let me swallow all your orgasm," said Bella her voice muffled since she still had his penis down her throat.

Jasper groaned and obeyed his mate's command without hesitation coming in her mouth. Bella swallowed every single drop of Jasper's cum happily and when her mate finally had no more to give she released the general which instantly hardened not a second later.

"You taste absolutely exquisite," said Bella licking her lips sensually getting a few more drops of his cum off her lips.

Jasper didn't respond verbally but instead kissed his wife hard still being able to taste his release on her lips which made him even harder.

"Isabella, the things you do to me," Jasper murmured when he released the kiss.

"I'm only returning the favor for the things you always do to me," Bella responded her voice already husky with desire again.

Jasper didn't respond verbally but instead began kissing his mark on Bella's neck and once he had throughly kissed and licked it he moved on to the side of her neck and trailed licks and kisses down to her chest where her breasts were.

Her breasts were one of his favorite parts of his wife's body, well her breasts and her legs. He just loved to lick her nipples into little peaks and then take one breast at a time into her hands and gently squeeze. Her breasts were just the right size to fit into his hands and he always gave them extra attention every time they made love.

"Oh, Jasper," Bella purred long and loud as Jasper moved from her breasts down to her stomach placing open mouthed kisses over every inch of it until he reached her belly button which he then gladly stuck his tongue in having learned a long time ago that she was very sensitive in that area.

"Jasssppper!" Bella yelled practically coming off the bed altogether when he stuck his tongue in her belly button.

"Who do you belong to?" Jasper demanded his voice harsh with suppressed passion.

"I'm yours, Jasper, always yours," Bella panted hoarsely.

Jasper read her emotions and there was nothing, but love, trust, lust and desire, not that he had expected anything else.

"I've always been yours from the moment I was born," Bella added in a pant.

"Yes, that's right," said Jasper harshly The Major showing out of his eyes, "you belong to me and you better make damn sure you never forget that."

"I've never...desired anybody...else and I...never will," Bella assured him panting her voice and emotions filled with love and trust. "You are everything...to me and...no other man...could possibly measure up...to you. You are my sun...my...moon, my stars...my very reason...for existing. Without you I would...cease to be...because I cannot...will not exist...without you. Please...Jasper...take me...I'm...yours, only...yours...for as...long as we...both exist," Bella begged her voice coming out in harsh gasps by the end.

Jasper growled at his mate's speech feeling that she meant every single word she uttered. The human part of him had really known that Bella loved him but the demon inside of him, better known as The Major demanded that his mate know that she belonged to him and only him for all time.

"MINE!" Jasper roared. He knew that he didn't have time to be gentle for The Major demanded he make Bella his so he rammed his penis into her roughly. Bella whimpered at the pain but it was overtaken by her pleasure not a second later.

"Yes, only yours," said Bella and she groaned as Jasper's member slammed into her again.

"MINE! MINE! MINE!" With each word Jasper slammed the general back into her again and again until on the last word he came deep inside of her and at the last possible instant The Major demanded that he bite her to make sure she knew that she was his and no one else's, so he did but on the opposite side of her neck giving her a new mating mark.

Both of them were silent for a while and Jasper having calmed down considerably calmly licked his mark releasing his venom to seal up the wound.

"I'm so sorry, Isabella," said Jasper kissing her new mark. "I don't know what came over me."

"Don't be sorry, Jasper," said Bella sounding and feeling completely sated and happy. "I don't regret what you did. We may look human but deep down underneath it all we are animals. Animals have instincts and those instincts include marking your mate. Both of us let our demons out to play a lot more then most of our kind but also we are mated and that is bound to play a large factor in the way we make love. All that means is that sometimes the demons within us need to know that their mates want only them. We are both animal and human and I don't regret the mark you left on me just like you don't regret yours because it is just further proof that you want and need me just as much as I want and need you, so don't ever say you are sorry for marking me because I'm not. It is just part of who we are."

"Oh, darlin', you are so fucking amazing and I love you so much," said Jasper kissing her tenderly his demon more then satisfied for the moment at the words of his mate.

"I think The Major needed to mark you because of all the lust those men were feeling when we were in the bookstore and the music store. The lust coming off those boys at the register when they looked at you would have been enough to knock out an ox. I know you never pay any attention but I think the demon part of me was jealous and so needed to mark you to make sure you knew you were his."

"No one could ever compare to you," Bella cooed giving him what would have been a heartstopping kiss if it had actually been beating. "Besides don't think I didn't notice how all the woman in the store were drooling when they saw you. I might not be able to feel emotions like you do, but that doesn't mean I don't notice when some woman tries to pick you up even when it's obvious that you are not only taken, but married."

"You have no need to worry, I'm yours, only yours," said Jasper giving her a kiss and when he broke it he immediately began making slow and gentle love to her for an unknown length of time because he was so moved by her words which he could feel she meant with everything in her.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"I love you, so much Jasper," said Bella after yet another powerful orgasm ripped though her. It must have been at least her fifteenth in the last few hours. "No one has ever made me feel the way that you do."

"And no one ever will," Jasper growled, playfully. "No one but me is allowed to make you feel like that or to give you an orgasm."

"I don't need or want anybody else," Bella assured him as she passionately kissed him pushing her tongue against his lips seeking entrance which he gladly granted her. Their tongues battled each other for dominance and when the kiss ended it was more then an hour later.

"It's a good thing we don't need to breathe or we would have died from asphyxiation," Bella chuckled in amusement.

Jasper chuckled and gave Bella a kiss before laying back on what was left of the bed his hands behind his head.

"We also need a new bed," Bella observed playfully surveying the destruction around her. "How many new beds over the years have we had?" she added.

"Oh, I don't know a couple of hundred?" asked Jasper, lazily not really caring that they needed a new bed.

"It probably is that many," Bella laughed laying her head on Jasper's chest with a sigh of contentment.

Flashback

"Stay with me for the night?" Bella requested as she and Jasper lay on the bed together her with her head on his chest.

"If that's what you want, darlin'," Jasper agreed with no hesitation.

It had only been a week since the near disaster of Bella's eighteenth birthday but in the last seven days when she wasn't in school they spent every free moment together. Bella had learned more about Jasper in the last week then she had learned in the previous six months.

"So are you ever going to tell me your story?" asked Bella who had been wanting to know more then the little inconsequential things that Jasper had shared so far.

"I'm afraid if I do you won't want anything to do with me," Jasper whispered because it was his greatest fear.

"Jasper," said Bella gently sitting up enough to put a hand tenderly on his cheek, "that will never happen. I love you and when you love somebody you don't abandon them just because they tell you something you don't like. I know from what little Edward told me that you have quite a different history from anyone else in the family and I want to know the real Jasper Hale."

"Well if you want to know the real me, first you must know that my real last name is Whitlock and I only use Hale because I was pretending to be the twin of one Miss Rosalie and it's also why I never had an accent before."

"I do love your accent."

"Now that I know you like my accent I'll be glad to get back to my natural way of speaking."

"Good and just so you know I like Whitlock much better then Hale," Bella said, "However now that we have established that you need to quit trying to distract me because it isn't going to work. I want to know the real Jasper Whitlock not some two dimensional cutout."

Jasper laughed at Bella's description but knew she was right, so he took a deep unnecessary breath and began, "I don't remember much from my human life but I do know I was born in 1843 in Houston Texas and that I joined the confederate army at seventeen, telling them I was twenty. I was mature looking for my age and even back then I had a way of making people believe whatever I was telling them. By the Second Battle of Galveston I was a major being promoted over many other officers with more experience then me..."

Jasper went on to tell Bella his story, how he had been changed by Maria and how he had been her second in command.

"Finally I became friends with Peter and it wasn't quite a year later that I helped him and his mate Charlotte escape. That was the beginning of the end for me and I knew that Maria was thinking of ways of getting rid of me because she felt I had outlived my usefulness and by then I was so sick of blood and death that when Peter and Char came back for me and told me of the easy living in the north where there were no wars or skirmishes for territory I felt more normal then I had since I was changed and so didn't hesitate to leave with them. Peter, Char and I traveled together for a few years always looking over our shoulders until finally we stopped looking for an attack to come and just started to live. Peter an Car had an easier time of it then I did because even though I was free from Maria's control I had a hard time hunting because of my ability to feel other peoples emotions and I would go as long as I possibly could between feedings. It wasn't long after that, that the three of us went our separate ways and I started just wandering from town to town only hunting when I absolutely had to. It was only about five years after that that I ended up at a diner in Philadelphia where I met Alice. I knew she was a vampire but her eyes were golden not red and I was very wary of her. Her first words to me the minute she saw me were: "You've kept me waiting a long time."

"Being the southern gentleman that I was raised to be I replied, I'm sorry ma'am."

"I of course could sense her emotions and she was radiating so much honesty and trust that I couldn't not believe what she told me. She told me of a different way of living, about the Cullens and how they were going to become family to us. When I asked her how she knew this she replied she had 'seen' it and the way she emphasized 'seen' made me realize that she was talking about some kind of ability to see the future. She confirmed my suspicious not more then a minute later and told me that she could indeed see the future but that it was all subjective and based on peoples decisions which could change. I decided to try this new way of life that Alice suggested and for the most part I have never regretted that decision."

Jasper fell silent his story at an end.

Neither one of them spoke for a long time and finally Bella realized that Jasper was waiting for he to reject him because of his very violent past.

"Jasper, if you are waiting for me to reject you for your past you're going to be waiting forever because it isn't going to happen."

"How can you just accept me after what I told you?" asked Jasper so quietly his voice so soft that Bella with her frail human hearing had a hard time understanding him.

"Because you aren't like that now and because you never realized there was another way until you met Alice. And Jasper, let me make one thing perfectly clear, I will never judge you because of your past, even if you decided to go back to feeding on humans I would still love you."

"You're telling me that if I decided to go back to feeding on human blood you would still love me and want to be with me?" asked Jasper incredulously looking into Bella's brown eyes seeing the honesty in them.

"If that was what you really wanted, then yes. It's just like eating a steak would be for me and nobody sees anything wrong with me eating meat so why should I find anything wrong with you drinking human blood? I will say this however and then we can drop the subject, if you did decide to go back to drinking from your natural food source I would prefer if you went after criminals, you know murderers, rapists, kidnappers and the like," said Bella giving Jasper a kiss on the cheek. "The truth of the matter is that I always thought if was weird that the rest of your family made the decision to feed on animals instead of what is a perfectly natural food source for you. I'm not saying I object because after all it isn't my decision, just that it is weird."

"You are so strange, Bella," said Jasper with a half smile seeming more at ease. "Most people would run screaming at the mere thought that a vampire was anywhere near them and yet you seem to have an affinity for supernatural creatures. You not only have an affinity but you go out of your way to make friends with them when most people avoid us like we were the plague whether they know why or not."

"I've always been different," Bella admitted with a shrug. "I've never felt like I belonged anywhere until I met the Cullens that is. With them I finally felt like I fit in somewhere and still do despite what happened with Edward."

They both fell silent again but it was a more comfortable silence then before.

"You've given me a lot to think about Bella," Jasper admitted, "but also know that you have made me happier then I have ever been in my long existence."

Jasper sent his happiness and love to Bella and watched her light up as she sent him her love and happiness in return.

"Maybe you should try to sleep?" Jasper suggested, gently. "It is getting late."

"It doesn't matter," said Bella. "It's Friday and I don't have school tomorrow so I can sleep in."

"But I have plans for us tomorrow and they don't include you sleeping all day," said Jasper.

"And what are these plans?" asked Bella with a raised eyebrow radiating curiosity.

"Oh no, I'm not telling, it's a surprise," said Jasper grinning mischievously. "My lips are sealed," he added drawing a finger across his mouth like a zipper.

"Oh all right," said Bella giving up this time anyway. "I do have one request though."

"What's that?" asked Jasper just a little apprehensively as he was getting seriousness from her.

"Can I see some of the scars you mentioned during your story before I go to bed?"

Jasper was silent for a long time until Bella said, "Quit worrying, I am not going to reject you or feel disgusted by your scars. Your scars are part of your past and therefore part of you. I hope over time I can convince you that I love every part of you including your scars."

Jasper would have been in tears if he had been capable of crying because he could feel Bella's sincerity so as soon as he got his emotions a little more under control he removed his shirt.

"I don't see anything," said Bella.

"They are hard to see with your frail human eyes," said Jasper gently taking her hand and placing them directly over several of his crescent shaped scars. "Run your hand over that area and you'll feel the raised skin. I warn you though that I have many, many scars from my years of serving Maria."

Bella did as Jasper instructed and gently ran her hand over the spot where he had indicated. When she ran a hand over certain areas she did indeed feel the raised skin and once she had found her target she leaned over and looked closely just being able to make out the crescent shaped marks.

"Oh Jasper I am so sorry that you had to go through what you did, but in a way I'm glad because if you had been killed or never turned into a vampire I never would have met you and in just the short week we've been together I have realized that I can't live without you, I won't."

Jasper who could feel her emotions knew she meant every word and that she wasn't disgusted by his scars or his past as he had feared. Knowing that Bella accepted him for who he was made him feel freer then he had ever felt. He felt like a thousand pound weight had been removed from his neck and he felt much lighter. Bella's words and emotions also made him want to make love to her but he resisted because not only was she still human and therefore fragile but he didn't think she was ready to take that step and he would never force her to do anything she didn't want to do.

"I'm glad to hear you say that darlin', because I feel the same way about you," said Jasper kissing her with every ounce of love, lust, need and passion in his body until he had to release her lips so she could breath.

"Wow," said Bella looking dazed.

"There are plenty more where that came from, but not tonight," said Jasper with a smirk as he felt and saw Bella's reaction. "We do have eternity so why don't we take our relationship slowly."

"I suppose you are right," said Bella reluctantly her hormones disagreeing with that statement.

"Why don't I help you sleep?" Jasper suggested after a few minutes of contented silence.

"You'll stay the night?" asked Bella just a little anxiously.

"I already said I would didn't I? In the morning though while you're having breakfast and getting dressed I need to go hunting. Despite the fact that I am not supposed to be able to hurt you due to the mating bond I am not going to take any chances with your safety."

"All right," Bella agreed giving Jasper one last kiss before laying down and closing her eyes immediately feeling Jasper's power wash over her causing her to get very sleepy and within just a couple of minutes she was out like a light.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

The next morning Bella awoke almost instantly from a deep sleep realizing that her very full bladder was what had woken her so suddenly.

"Good morning, gorgeous," said Jasper, from where he was laying with his body pressed as closely to hers as possible which Bella didn't mind at all.

"Good morning to you to," said Bella. "As much as I would love to stay this way for the rest of the day I need a human moment and you need to hunt."

"You're right," Jasper agreed reluctantly rising from the bed.

"I'll see you at noon."

"What time is it anyway?" asked Bella.

"9:27," said Jasper looking at his watch.

"I really did sleep late didn't I? That is so unlike me," Bella mused.

"Well, we were up late last night talking and if that's not enough our conversation was very emotional which more than likely drained you as well so it isn't really a surprise that you slept so late."

"Is Charlie still here?"

"No I heard him leave about 6:00," said Jasper.

"Oh, right it's Saturday, he goes fishing with Billy Black and Harry Clearwater from La Push most weekends. He won't be home at least until dinner and maybe not even then, depending if Harry invites him to his house."

"I'll leave you to your human moments then and see you at noon," said Jasper not even trying to hide his amusement at the way Bella described her need to take a shower, use the bathroom, get dressed, eat and other things that he was sure he didn't want to know about.

"Laugh it up, cowboy," Bella told him pretending to be annoyed.

"I will, thanks for your permission," said Jasper with a smirk his amusement plain not at all fooled by her fake annoyance.

"Go on, get out of here," said Bella making shooing motions with her hands.

"All right, all right, I'm gone," said Jasper climbing out the window and jumping to the ground with very little sound other then a slight thumping noise.

Bella watched him disappear into the forest before heading for the bathroom.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Hello, love," said a voice.

Bella spun around at the sound of the voice to see the person she never wanted to see again standing behind her. "Edward what are you doing here? Didn't I make it more then clear that I never wanted to see you again?" Bella demanded angrily. "And don't call me love because if I am anybody's love it is Jasper's. Now get out of my house."

"I'm not going anywhere, not until I you change your mind," said Edward.

Bella snorted in contempt, "you'll be waiting a long time then since I will never forgive you and I will definitely never take you back."

"Bella, love, how can you even consider getting anywhere near him? He's dangerous and drank human blood for almost a hundred years. How can you be fooled by him?" said Edward.

Bella snorted again. "Edward you are an idiot, did anyone ever tell you that? You are so used to getting your way that you don't know how to take disappointment or rejection. The only thing I will ever be grateful for where it concerns you is the fact that if I hadn't gotten involved with you I probably never would have met Jasper. As for the human blood thing, and yes I know he drank human blood for a long time, he wasn't raised to drink animal blood and did not know there was another way, unlike you who was raised on it. And by the way what fucking makes you better then him? You were raised to drink animal blood and yet you rejected Carlisle's teachings and decided to go your own way, while Jasper on the other hand never knew any better until he met Alice, so which one of you really is the better man? Don't answer that and just fucking get out of my house and out of my life!"

"Bella, language," Edward admonished as if he were talking to a small child.

Bella rolled her eyes and muttered, "Is there such a thing as a hard of hearing vampire? First off you have no right to tell me not to use cuss words and I will if I damn well please. Secondly I have asked you to never come near or speak to me again and you are so damn stubborn and stupid that you can't even do as I ask. Thirdly I am not your damn pet nor am I a child that needs to be told what to do. Fourthly I only cuss when I am either very angry or annoyed so you should be damn proud of yourself that you have gotten me so worked up that not only am I cussing but I'm almost seeing red. Are you getting the point yet?" Bella rolled her eyes when Edward didn't move. "Fine I'll leave and when I return you had better be gone."

"You aren't going anywhere," said Edward reaching her side in an instant and holding her by the arm.

"What are you going to kidnap me now?" asked Bella starting get scared as she noticed the look in Edward's eye. "I wouldn't advice manhandling me because when Jasper gets here he will rip you to pieces."

"He'll never find us and without him around you'll fall back in love with me," said Edward arrogantly.

"What are you, fucking crazy?" asked Bella. The words had barely left her mouth when her head snapped back so hard from what Edward had slapped her that she was surprised she didn't have whiplash.

"What did I tell you about your language?"

"You don't control what I do or say Edward," said Bella bravely already feeling a bruise forming on her cheek and when she tried to move her jaw she noticed that there was a sharp pain.

"You are mine until I let you go, you understand me Isabella Swan," said Edward shaking her by the shoulders so hard she was surprised her teeth didn't come loose.

"You just signed your own death warrant," Bella told Edward calmly, but quietly. "Jasper already wanted to tear you apart just for being so rude to me, what do you think he'll do to you once he sees the bruise on my cheek, not to mention I think you broke a couple of my cheekbones. I'm sure Emmett will want a piece of you too."

"I can take him and Emmett both," said Edward arrogantly.

At Edward's words and tone Bella couldn't help but laugh despite the pain it caused in her bruised cheek when she did, "You couldn't take Jasper on your best day. He survived almost a hundred year of skirmishes for feeding territory in the south and has the scars to prove it, even your mind reading won't be enough to let you beat him."

"You've got that right," growled Jasper coming in the door looking so menacing and furious that Edward actually gulped. "Let her go this instant," he added sending out waves of fear so intense that Edward actually started to cower. Edward released Bella who immediately moved out of the way of what she knew was going to be a deadly confrontation.

"Bella go outside and call Carlisle would you?" asked Jasper tossing her his cell phone which amazingly enough she caught and didn't drop.

Bella nodded and did as asked knowing that Jasper didn't want her to see what he was going to do to Edward.

As soon as she was away from the house she heard a metallic tearing sound and winced as she knew that Edward had just lost a limb. Bella was just about to dial the phone when not only Carlisle came running up but Emmett and Rosalie as well.

"Bella, are you okay?" asked Carlisle in concern.

"I think Edward broke one of my cheekbones when he slapped me," said Bella not able to stop wincing when she spoke.

"I'll kill him," Emmett growled heading towards the house looking more dangerous then Bella had ever seen him.

"And I'll help you," Rosalie added looking just as dangerous.

"I don't think that will be necessary, as I believe Jasper is taking care of it. I heard him rip a limb off just after I got out here."

"I'll rip more then a limb off, I'll fucking tear him apart," Emmett muttered entering the house, Rosalie following.

"Here Bella, let me look at your cheek," said Carlisle gently taking her face in his hands and examining her cheek and jaw. "I don't think you have any broken bones although they will probably hurt for a while as I believe they are bruised along with your skin."

"Thanks Carlisle," said Bella gratefully.

"Your welcome and I can't apologize enough for what Edward did to you."

"It's not your fault, Carlisle," said Bella. "I've come to realize that your son has some serious anger issues."

"He is no longer my son," said Carlisle looking determined but sad. "I can forgive many things since all of us have faults, but hurting you just because you broke up with him is one thing I cannot forgive and Esme will agree. It is only sheer dumb luck that he didn't take your head off."

"How do you know how hard he hit me?" asked Bella curiously wincing as she spoke.

"It takes a certain amount of force to not only bruise the skin but the bones as well without at least cracking them," Carlisle explained clinically his voice lacking all emotion.

Bella immediately realized that Carlisle tone was his way of dealing with the pain of his son's betrayal.

"I love you," Bella said giving Carlisle a hug.

Carlisle looked surprised then pleased and a little bit of the numbness faded from his golden eyes. "I love you to Bella and I look forward to you joining the family as one of us."

"Say can I ask you a question?" asked Bella.

"Of course," said Carlisle.

"How did you know to get here before I even called you."

"Alice, who else," explained Carlisle.

"If Alice saw what was happening why didn't you get here before I got hurt?"

"Because she didn't see anything until the confrontation was already well underway. Apparently Edward kept changing his mind so fast that all Alice got were flickers. It wasn't until he grabbed you that Edward quit concentrating on blocking her out."

"I see," said Bella understanding.

"Unfortunately, although it is difficult it is possible to get around Alice's gift."

"And who would know how to do that better then somebody who has lived with her for the last six or seven decades and knows how her gift works," Bella suggested.

"Exactly," said Carlisle looking proud which made Bella blush.

"You okay, darlin'?" asked Jasper coming out of the house and approaching her.

"I'll be okay, Jasper," Bella assured him running into his arms without tripping once.

Jasper sighed in relief having been afraid that she would not want anything to do with him once she saw how violent he could be when somebody he cared about was threatened but he should have known better for if she could accept his scars then she would accept just about anything.

Jasper folded his arms around her and gave her a gentle hug.

"How is she really doing, Carlisle?" asked Jasper looking over at the man he considered a father figure

"Well as I was telling Bella I don't believe she has any cracked or broken bones, just bruises not only on the skin but the bone as well. That kind of injury will take a long time to heal. In a way it would have been simpler if he had broken the bones because it would have healed faster."

"I'll kill him," Jasper growled while still holding Bella to him.

"Didn't you already do that?" asked Bella her face muffled against Jasper's chest.

"So I'll reassemble him and tear him apart all over again," said Jasper sounding so angry that Bella looked up from where her head was buried in his chest.

Just then then Rose and Emmett appeared each carrying a trash bag.

"Let me guess those bags contain Eddie's parts," said Bella not looking the the least upset that Jasper, Rose and Emmett had torn Edward apart.

"You got it little sis," said Emmett with a grin. "I'm sorry you had to see that though."

"It's okay, brother bear, it doesn't bother me, not after what he did to me anyway. Any affection or love I felt for him at one point is totally gone now."

"I'm proud of you," said Rose with a smile. "This asshole doesn't deserve your remorse or your pity."

"Thank you, Rose," said Bella. "So what are we going to do with his parts?"

"We'll take them back to the house and reassemble enough of him so he can at least talk, then we'll see," said Carlisle.

"Let's get going then," said Bella wincing as she talked as her cheekbones hurt something fierce. "How I am going to explain what happened to my face to Charlie?"

"We'll figure something out," said Jasper giving her a gentle kiss.

"You know I'm so mad at that fucker I could just break something," said Bella looking furious suddenly as she remembered that she and Jasper had been going to go on a date. "Jasper was supposed to take to out on a date and that asshole ruined it," she explained when everybody except Jasper looked confused.

"We'll still have our date," Jasper assured her. "Just not today."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Bella muttered following the others to Emmett's jeep.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Edward Anthony Masen!" said Carlisle once he was reassembled and fed enough so that all but his arms had fused back together correctly. It was more then an hour later and the whole family was assembled on the back glassed in porch with Emmett and Jasper both making sure that Edward couldn't get away.

Edward looked up at the use of his full name, but didn't look in the least ashamed of himself. "I am ashamed of you and from this moment on you are no longer my son and have no right to the Cullen name. All accounts that you have access to shall be closed so that you can't use them and you are no longer welcome in our lives or homes."

There was a sob in the background from Esme but she didn't say anything because she knew that Edward deserved what he was getting.

"The Cullen crest that you were given shall be melted down."

"How can you do this?" asked Edward, "and for a mere human and him." The him was dripping with so much contempt that it was practically solid.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, son," said Esme looking as furious as anybody had ever seen her. "Didn't we teach you any manners or how to care about others? The way you treated Bella is disgraceful and I am ashamed that I ever called you my son. Bella is a living, breathing, intelligent, human being and thinking back you treated her like a pet or a porcelain doll that didn't have any brains or who couldn't make her own decisions. You practically ordered her around and made her decisions for her no matter what her opinion was. As for Jasper don't think I haven't noticed the contempt you always held him in. No one deserves that and you refuse to see that he has gone out of his way and tried to change who he was for so many years, which isn't an easy thing to do and yet instead of encouraging him you go out of your way to berate and hate him. I'm actually surprised he's put up with it for a long as he has."

Esme shook her head, but didn't say anything else.

"Jasper give him his arms back," said Carlisle.

"Do I have to?" asked Jasper plaintively, looking mutinous. "After what he did to Bella I was thinking about burning at least one of them. It would only be proper punishment for what he did. In fact he's lucky I haven't decided to go to the Volturi about this because if I did it would be almost certain death for him."

Everybody gasped at the thought of the Volturi well all except for Carlisle, Jasper and Bella.

"Don't look so shocked," Carlisle told his family looking grim. "Jasper is right in that the Volturi won't take such an offense as harming a vampire's mate lightly. In fact there are laws that state if a complaint is filed and it is proven true then the punishment is up to the offended party which can mean death, although not necessarily, for the offender and since all Aro has to do is touch somebody in order to learn the truth...well you get the idea."

"But Bella is human," Rosalie protested, "wouldn't that make a difference?"

"No," said Carlisle, "so long as we could guarantee that Bella would be changed and since we were planning on doing that anyway after she graduates there should be no problem. Jasper I know you are upset with Edward and you have every right to be, but let's be a little merciful and not burn his limbs."

"Oh all right," Jasper agreed reluctantly, "but know this Edward Masen if you come near my Bella or me again you will be signing your death warrant. I will not stand for her being hurt again and I guarantee you that you will truly learn what the God of War can do if you push it. Just because I retired doesn't mean I can't still take you apart piece by piece if I must. This is your only warning."

Edward looked terrified if only because Jasper was sending out emotions of terror, menace and horror.

"Here you go," Jasper added after moment tossing Carlisle, Edward's arms from where they had been laying. "Now if you don't mind I'm going to take Bella home although how we are going to explain her cheek to her father I don't know."

"I don't dare tell him it was Edward or he'll be out here with his gun in no time at all ready to kill him," said Bella.

"We'll just cover your cheek with heavy make-up and that should work," Alice said.

"Thank you Alice," said Bella.

"You're welcome and I just want you to know I am happy for you and Jasper. I'm only sorry I didn't see this coming."

"I don't blame you," said Bella, gently hugging her friend. "It's not your fault that Edward knows how to get around your talent. The only one who is to blame is Edward himself for doing what he did and for no other reason than he was jealous and his pride was hurt."

"Thank you, Bella," said Alice looking happier.

"You're welcome," said Bella.

"Come on, darlin', let me take you home," said Jasper.

"Okay," said Bella and took Jasper's offered hand and the bag of make-up that Alice handed her and the two of them headed out the door.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"What did you want to discuss?" asked Bella as she and Jasper laid on a blanket in a meadow in the woods side by side. It wasn't the same meadow Edward had taken her to as it was much smaller for one thing, about half the size and it was much further away from Forks and towards the mountains. It was several weeks later and the bruise on Bella's cheek had turned from black and blue to yellow and purple and she had an easier time talking without as much pain.

"Well I wanted to discuss the change with you," said Jasper.

"You haven't changed your mind have you?" asked Bella starting to panic.

"No of course not," Jasper said soothingly while sending out his emotions calm and comfort. "What made you jump to that conclusion?" he asked after Bella had calmed down.

"Well, I just thought that you had discovered we weren't mates and had brought me out here to tell me that we weren't meant to be together for eternity and that I deserved to remain human so that I wouldn't lose my soul by becoming like you," said Bella feeling ashamed of her outburst and jumping to conclusions as she knew that Jasper was much to honorable to tell her they were mates and then break it off. He never would have said anything at all to her if he hadn't been sure. Besides it didn't seem to matter that she was human she still felt that pull that Jasper had described even though it was very faint. She was sure though it would get much stronger once she was a vampire.

"Let me guess, that is the line that that no good, son of a bitch fed you, isn't it?" Jasper growled looking furious and somehow Bella knew instinctually that anger wasn't directed at her, but at a certain former brother of his which she was glad about as she never wanted the man she was coming to love more and more everyday they were together to be that mad at her.

"Yes," answered Bella quietly. "He was always trying to come up with excuses to not change me. He claimed more then once that he didn't want me to lose my soul and that I didn't deserve this life even when I said it was what I wanted. He always said I didn't know what I was talking about treating me like someone who had the intelligence of a retarded child and therefore wasn't capable of making her own decisions. I suppose I just jumped to conclusions that you had brought me out here to tell me the same thing," said Bella looking everywhere except at Jasper.

"Why would you jump to such a conclusion before you had even heard what I had to say?" asked Jasper.

Bella didn't answer and continued to look everywhere except directly at Jasper.

"Bella look at me," Jasper ordered harshly as he sat up from where he had been laying and gently forced her to look at him. When Bella was looking at him he demanded, "Now answer my question."

Bella didn't say anything for a few minutes then finally said so softly that if Jasper hadn't been a vampire he never would have heard her. "Because I don't know what you see in me. I mean you are so handsome and could have any girl on the planet and I'm just plain, ordinary, nothing special Isabella Swan who is so weird that she never even had a boyfriend before she came to Forks."

"You listen to me Isabella Marie Swan, because I am not going to repeat myself," Jasper ordered sternly his gold eyes looking directly into her brown ones. "You are not plain, nor are you ordinary or not special. You are very beautiful both inside and out. You are kind, passionate, gentle, loving, tenderhearted, intelligent, caring, wise beyond your years, have a wicked sense of humor and a heart as big as the whole world. You accept people with your whole heart, without reservation, even those who don't deserve it and yet you know how to also stand up for yourself and not take any crap from anybody. You are more than worthy of being loved and I don't ever again want to hear you call yourself plain, ordinary or not special again because you are anything but, do I make myself clear?" Jasper demanded sending her his emotions of love, adoration and pride. Bella looked directly into Jasper's eyes as the emotions he was sending her washed over her. "If anything I should wonder what you see in me. You have accepted both my past and my scars which is not something I can say about anyone except Peter and Char."

Bella was silent for a long time and Jasper gave her plenty of time to process her thoughts then finally said, "There is more to a person then just looks, although I happen to think you are the most gorgeous woman in the whole world, as you are all those things I named and more. We also share a lot of similar interests and a relationship is based on more then liking someone or finding them attractive."

Bella's emotions finally settled down and although there was still a lot of doubt there was also love, faith and hope, which was good.

"And if I don't remember this conversation after I am changed are you going to repeat yourself then, even though you said you wouldn't?" asked Bella her good humor returning.

"If I have to," said Jasper seriously. "I suspect I know where these doubts originally stem from and if I had my way I would kill that person slowly and torture them for weeks or even months."

You aren't talking about Edward are you?" asked Bella with a raised eyebrow.

"He is part of the reason you lack any self-confidence in your own self-worth, but he isn't the main cause of it. He just exacerbated it by not treating you as the intelligent person you are and someone who is capable of making her own decisions."

"And who do you think is responsible?" asked Bella cocking her head curiously and raising her eyebrow in question.

"I suspect your own mother is largely responsible as from what you have told me you ended up taking care of her instead of the other way around. Because of that you didn't get the experiences you needed to be confident and comfortable in your own skin and aware of your own value. Also I know that high school can be tough on your average teenager and I'm not talking about the classes but the the little cliques that tend to form.

The popular crowd, the geeks, the cheerleaders, the preps, the band geeks, the bookworms and many more. If you aren't part of one of these little cliques you tend to be an outcast within the teenage crowd and I know that you tend to keep to yourself which would make you even more of an outcast then being the police chief's daughter. You have a lot of pressures hanging over your head."

"You've given me a lot to think about," Bella admitted looking directly into Jasper's eyes even though he had released his hold on her chin. "So what about the change did you want to talk about?" asked Bella changing the subject and getting back to the original reason Jasper had brought her out here.

"Well," said Jasper relaxing a little although he knew he had not gotten rid of her doubts completely he also knew that she would need time to process what he had said. "I wanted to discuss the changes that will occur once you are a vampire and also the process of changing itself."

"I'm listening," said Bella, leaning back against Jasper's chest and idly playing with a piece of his curly blond hair.

"I won't say that changing into a vampire is a walk in the park, because I would be lying if I told you that," Jasper began. "Once I have bitten you in several different places and injected as much of my venom into your body is possible the pain you will experience will be almost immediate. The pain is very...intense...and you will feel like your body is burning up from the inside out. You will also feel as if you have been dipped in boiling lava, and that you are being stabbed with hundreds swords that have been dipped in acid."

"You aren't exactly encouraging a girl to go through with becoming a vampire you know," Bella joked trying to hide her nervousness.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but I wanted to be honest with you about what the change will be like," Jasper said seriously. "I won't hold it against you if you decide not to go through with it because it is the most excruciating and painful thing you will ever experience. Some people don't survive the change at all as it is very rough on the body, but especially the heart. You are young and healthy though and you don't have any heart problems so you will be just fine if you do decide to go through with it that is."

"No, I'm going to go through with it," Bella told him seriously her joking demeanor gone. "I want to be with you for all eternity and if that means I have to go through the pain of the transformation in order to do that then I will endure the pain willingly and without regret so long as I know that you will be with me every step of the way and will still want me once I am like you."

"I will want you for the rest of our existence and thank you for wanting to endure the pain so we can be together," Jasper promised his mate huskily, kissing her passionately his lips promising much more then he could give her while she was still human and therefore breakable. "I will be with you every step of the way and will not leave your side at all during the transformation."

"Then I can endure just about anything so long as you are there," Bella told him tenderly stroking his cheek. "The world could be destroyed, but so long as we were together then everything would be alright but if you died and I was still alive then I would find a way to destroy myself for I cannot exist without you."

Jasper felt awed at the love that Bella had for him and he swore to himself that he would never take her for granted and would treat her with all the love, respect and adoration she deserved and more.

"Now about the changes you will actually experience once your transformation is complete and I warn you there will be quite a few," said Jasper after a moment.

"Such as?" asked Bella wondering if what she had dug up on the legend of vampires was at all accurate.

"Well, you will be much stronger for one thing especially doing your first year."

"Why will I be stronger then you or the others during my first year?" asked Bella curiously.

"Well it's because new vampires still have most of their blood in their system as well as venom and so this makes then at least three or four times as strong as an older vampire who only have venom in their bodies and this is one of the reasons they are called newborns. After your first year your strength will fade to what it should be."

After a moment Bella nodded so Jasper continued, "You will also find that your sense of smell is much stronger and acute then your weak human nose and the same goes for your sight and hearing as well."

"Anything else?" asked Bella cocking her head.

"Well, your brain will go from using five to ten percent of its actual capacity to using a hundred percent which can be hard to adjust to at first. Also you will be able to run much faster and not get out of breath or tired as technically we don't really need to breathe and we don't need to sleep either which is sometimes one of the hardest changes to get used to since your body is used to sleeping for seven or eight hours every night. It will take your body a while to adjust to the fact that you no longer need to rest."

"Anything else?" asked Bella accepting Jasper's words calmly.

"Well, the only other thing I can think of and for most people it is a big one, is that you will no longer be able to have children."

"Why?" asked Bella curiously.

"Because technically you are dead," Jasper explained. "You no longer need to eat, sleep or use the bathroom so the organs in your body are at a standstill and no longer have to work to pump blood through your veins to keep your heart beating or to dispose of waste and since your organs are stopped that means you can't ever have a baby."

"I see," said Bella thoughtfully but absentmindedly tracing patterns along Jasper's cheek.

"Are you sure this is what you want because no matter how much I want to I can't give you children, which is one of the very few downsides to being a vampire," said Jasper not realizing he was leaking anxiety waiting for Bella's reply.

"There is no need to worry, cowboy, my answer is still yes, I want to be changed," Bella told him kissing him tenderly and with all the love in her heart.

"Are you sure?" Jasper asked again. "I don't want to take away you ability to have children of your own if that is what you want."

"Jasper, look at me," Bella ordered softly but sternly pushing her own doubts aside for the moment. When Jasper turned to look her in the eyes she said, "I never wanted children, never. Not only did I not want to pass on my clumsiness to a child but I made a decision a long time ago that I was never going to procreate because I didn't want to pass on my mother's genes. Also it is not something I ever really desired unless it was with someone I loved with all my heart and soul and if the only way to express that love was through having a child, but the only man I have ever loved, heart, body, soul and mind is you. If we could have children I would do it without hesitation because I love you with every molecule of my body but since we can't then no I don't want children."

Jasper breathed a sigh of relief because he could tell by he emotions that she was being truthful. "Well good, because if that is what you really wanted even if it was with another man I wouldn't stop you even if it would be very painful for me to watch you with someone else."

"Not going to happen as you are the only man I have ever loved enough to even consider bringing children into this world."

"I love you," said Jasper leaning down and kissing her forehead, her cheeks and finally her lips.

"I love you too," Bella assured him after they had broken the kiss in order to allow her to breathe. I can't wait until I'm a vampire and I don't need to breath so we can kiss for hours or even days if we really wanted to. Of course they would be doing a lot more then mere kissing and she could hardly wait. She tried to push down her rising desire before Jasper could feel it but she should have known better.

"Why do I feel lust and desire coming off you, my mate?" asked Jasper with a smirk already knowing the answer.

Bella blushed which was another thing she would not miss once she was changed. "I was thinking about the fact that once I am like you we can make love for days or week or even months and not get tired," Bella mumbled looking anywhere but at Jasper.

"Ah so you are looking forward to that?"

"Yes," Bella murmured still looking anywhere but at Jasper. "I've been looking forward to it for awhile now."

"When you are changed we will not leave the bed for months except to hunt and I will do things to you that would probably kill you if we tried then right now," Jasper smirked and Bella blushed again.

"There is no need to be embarrassed, darlin'," Jasper drawled as he watched Bella turn bright red with amusement. "Wanting to make love to each other is a perfectly natural thing especially when you love each other as much as we do and we are mates which makes it even more intense in a way because mates are two halves of a whole and when you are perfectly matched like that making love is bound to be more intense and pleasurable then if we were just two people out for a one night stand."

"I can hardly wait," Bella told him kissing him on the lips. "I almost wish you would go ahead and change me so we could do that."

"Me to, but it is better if we do as planned and that you finish high school and then leave town to presumably go to college," said Jasper.

"Why is it better?" asked Bella curiously.

"Because of the Quileute tribe over on the La Push reservation."

"Why are you concerned about them?" asked Bella with a raised eyebrow. "Who cares what they think."

"What do you know about the Quileutes and their legends?" asked Jasper suddenly.

"Well I have been to their bonfires before with Jacob when I was younger and I was visiting my father during the summer, but that was years ago so the only thing I remember is that there are some kind of legends about shapeshifters and the cold ones. I don't remember any specific details though."

Bella was silent seeming to be thinking and Jasper was also silent giving her plenty of time to come to her own conclusions. "The legends are true aren't they and the cold ones are vampires?" asked Bella in astonishment sure of her conclusion despite the fact that she hadn't had very much information to work from which made Jasper practically radiate pride as not many people could have come to that conclusion especially so quickly.

"Yes," Jasper answered calmly.

"Does that mean that the legend of the shapeshifters is true as well and if it is how did it come about?"

"Yes, it is true," said Jasper. "From what I know of their legends they got the ability to shapeshift through some type of magic and it was only after ones of our kind appeared on their land and killed several of their tribe. The shapeshifting gene is recessive though and only appears when there are vampires in the Forks and La Push area."

"Why only in the Forks and La Push area?" asked Bella curiously.

"Well, because La Push is the home of their people and Forks because it is very close to their reservation."

"So they defend both?" asked Bella.

"Yes, they defend both," said Jasper. "Sometimes though none of the Quileutes will transform into wolves for generations which is why they have the legends in order to remind their people of their history and to also give them a clue if vampires do invade their territory."

"I bet you most people don't believe the legends, with the way things are in this day and age," said Bella with a snort.

"True enough," Jasper admitted.

"So why will the werewolves of La Push be a problem?"

"Because Carlisle has treaty with them that says so long as his family sticks to animal blood, stays off their land and never bites anyone that they will be left alone."

Bella digested that for a minute. "So that is why it better for me to supposedly leave for college so that hopefully the werewolves of La Push will never find out."

"That's why and it's also why I've never taken you on a date in public and why I've never picked up from school. I've wanted to do these things, but technically I'm supposed to be away at college right now so I don't want to give people any ideas that I am still in town as they will gossip and then the werewolves of La Push will eventually hear about it and that will cause problems all on its own especially since Billy Black is your father's best friend."

"Why does this concern Billy?" asked Bella.

"Because it was his ancestor Ephraim Black that originally made the treaty with the Cullens and his and Billy's ancestor was also a shapeshifter and the alpha of the pack then and he is also part of the tribal council."

"So if the gene is passed down through families does that mean Billy could have been a werewolf if he wasn't in a wheelchair?"

"Yes, but only if there was a need as it doesn't pop up unless there are vampires in the area and as I mentioned just a few minutes ago that sometimes doesn't happen for generations," said Jasper.

"And that means that Jacob may change if there is a need for it?" asked Bella.

"Yes and since he is a Black and since his ancestor was alpha of the pack that would technically make him alpha as well if or when there is current pack."

"He'll hate that," said Bella shaking her head. "I know Jake and I know that he will not accept being alpha if he does change unless there is no other choice as he will not want that kind of responsibility."

"Didn't you tell me weeks ago that fire was the only thing that could permanently kill one of your kind and yet you implied that a werewolves teeth and claws can tear you apart," said Bella changing the subject aptly after thinking back over what she had been told about werewolves and what she remembered from the legends.

"It is true that fire is the only way to permanently kill us," Jasper answered immediately not at all afraid of giving this kind of dangerous information to his mate as he knew she would never do anything to hurt him or the other Cullens, except perhaps, for his former brother old Eddie and that was fine with him if she did hurt, maim or permanently kill him, "but that doesn't mean that the werewolves of La Push can't rip us apart with their teeth and claws and since they were created specifically to kill our kind they are the only two things besides another vampire that can tear us apart and fire of course as you mentioned just a minute ago is the only way to permanently kill us once we are dismembered."

"I see what you mean and why you want us to keep our relationship quiet," said Bella finally after thinking about it logically for a few minutes. "It would cause no end of problems if the werewolves found out, problems we don't need."

"Exactly," said Jasper. "It's not that I couldn't take care of a pack of juvenile werewolves if I had to it's just that I would prefer not to have to deal with them is all as not only would Carlisle be very upset with me if I annihilated them, the treaty he has with them would be null and void and they would come after us if there was any of them left after I got done with them that is."

Bella knew that Jasper was simply stating fact and not being boastful in the least because from what he had told her about how he was created and how he had survived some of the bloodiest fighting the vampire world had ever seen meant that he must be one hell of a warrior as all his scars should prove. She had only seen a few of his scars it was true but he assured her he had them all over his body and the ones he had shown her were just the tip of the proverbial iceberg so to speak.

"Believe me when I tell you if I had my way I would shout our relationship from the rooftops and announce to the world that you were my mate and that no other man had better get any ideas if they want to live," Jasper told her after a moment pulling her as close to his body as she could get and not actually be inside of him.

"I would do the same," Bella assured him tenderly giving him a kiss. "I thought originally, when you first asked me to keep our relationship on the QT that you were ashamed of being mated to me. I should have known better because as I've gotten to know more about you, I now know you would never ask me to keep our relationship quiet for such a stupid reason."

"I am sorry you ever thought that and if you had told me that I would have explained why I wanted it kept quiet and I should have anyway," Jasper admitted looking ashamed of himself that his mate had suffered with her doubts about their relationship in silence for so long. "Let me assure you that I am very proud and ecstatic to be mated to you and I cannot wait for the day when we can finally make it official and I change you so that you are mine and I am yours for all time."

"I can't wait either," Bella assured him sending him her love, adoration, lust and the promise of passion to come. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking forward to the pain of the transformation but I am looking forward to being your's forever and ever."

"As am I," Jasper assured her kissing her tenderly.

They were both silent for a while and then Jasper said seriously after a moment.

"There is one other thing I want to discuss and then we should probably be heading back."

"What else is there?" asked Bella curiously. "I thought we had discussed everything that needed to be discussed."

"Well, once you are changed and we have make love for the first time the demon part of me that is also known as my inner vampire is going to want to mark you and yours is going to want to do the same."

"What does this marking involve?" asked Bella looking nervous.

"Well vampires are creatures of instinct especially while making love and in order to fully activate the mating bond our demons are going to want to leave bite marks on some part of our bodies although it is usually the neck, but not always."

Bella considered that for a moment then said, "And once we do mark each other we are fully bonded?"

"Yes and from what I know on the subject the bite mark is painful, but only briefly and it is our demons way of marking their mate."

"You didn't ever mark Alice?" asked Bella curiously.

"No that instinct only appears when we have found our true mates and we have recognized them as such. I never had the urge to mark Alice and vice versa of course which just proved what both of us already knew and that was that we weren't each others soulmates and meant to be together for the rest of our existence. I should also warn you that the urge to mark each other is not a one time thing and although it will not happen every time we make love it will happen often depending on circumstances of course."

Bella absorbed that silently for a few minutes and Jasper gave her plenty of time to think about it and to process her thoughts.

"I am looking forward to it and I can hardly wait to have a very visible reminder that says to other vampires that I belong to you," said Bella finally giving him another kiss, which led to another and another until Jasper finally had to pull back so that Bella could breathe and also if they didn't stop he was going to make love to her right here and now and damn the consequences.

"When you do mark me it is one scar I won't mind receiving and I will be very proud to wear your mark on me so that others of our kind will know that I am taken and they had better not try anything if they don't want a very vengeful seductress to come after them and tear them apart."

"You got that right," said Bella looking pleased at Jasper's description of her then growled half seriously and half playfully. "You are mine and you damn well better never forget that."

"I belong only to you," Jasper assured her seriously with a kiss. "Just like you belong only to me."

"Only to you," Bella repeated giving him a passionate and lust filled kiss. "I suppose we should be getting back," she added unenthusiastically after a few more minutes of comfortable silence. "It is almost dinner time and I need to get home to fix Charlie some supper."

"If we must," said Jasper just as unenthusiastically finally rising from where he was laying on the blanket he had brought along and folded it once Bella had gotten to her feet as well.

"Climb onto my back so I can run," said Jasper. "It is the fastest way to get back to my car.

"Sure," said Bella happily as she loved riding on Jasper's back as his gait was so much different from Edward's more smooth and powerful even though he wasn't quite as fast as Eddie had been. "I'm going to miss riding on your back after I am changed."

"But once you are like me you will be able to run on your own without, tripping, getting tired or getting a stitch in your side," Jasper pointed out.

"I won't miss being clumsy in the least," said Bella. "Are you sure I won't be clumsy anymore?"

"I've never met a clumsy vampire in all my of my long existence," said Jasper reassuringly not adding that certain human traits were augmented after the change as he didn't want to give Bella any preconceived notions in case it had an effect while she was being turned into a vampire. It would be just like her to think that just because she was clumsy as a human that she would be clumsy as a vampire if he told her that so he kept silent.

"Good," said Bella falling silent as she leaned her head against the back of Jasper's shoulder and wrapped her arms more firmly around his neck as he traveled though the forest at a speed that should have been impossible even for a car. They were moving so fast and so lightly that it was almost like the forest was moving instead of them as the scenery changed rapidly and it wasn't long at all before they reached Jasper's car.

End Flashback

"So when are we leaving to visit Peter and Char?" asked Bella.

"I've already called Peter and he and Char are expecting us sometime in the next couple of days," said Jasper.

"What about Rosalie and Emmett?"

"They said they would meet us there and also told me that they were sick of traveling for a while and would be glad to settle somewhere at least temporarily. Emmett told me to tell you that he is looking forward to seeing his favorite little sis."

"I'm his only little sis," Bella giggled and Jasper could tell that she was looking forward to seeing her big brother. Bella and Emmett had always had a strong sibling bond even when she had been human. Thanks to the fact that he could feel emotions he knew that all Bella and Emmett felt for each other was only the love a brother and sister would feel so there was no reason for him to be jealous. Besides he missed them to as he like Bella thought of them as family.

"Well I'm his only brother to and he didn't say he missed me," said Jasper with a fake pout not bothering to mention Edward as neither he or Emmett had considered Edward their brother after he attacked Bella while she was still human and vulnerable.

"I'm sure he did miss you after all who does he have to wrestle with except you."

"Well we had better begin packing," said Jasper anticipating seeing Peter and Charlotte as well as Emmett and Rosalie as besides Bella they were the only family he had left.

"I'll do the packing if you call the airport to make sure they have our plane fueled and ready to go. I'm ready to go see Uncle Peter and Char. Make sure you pack your guitar."

About five years ago Jasper had bought another shuttle. This shuttle was only one in a series of them as neither one of them liked to be in such a confined space with a whole lot of humans as the smell and the sound of so many beating hearts would be enough to drive any vampire crazy. Jasper bought a shuttle every ten to fifteen years or so and both of them as well as Peter and Char had their pilots licences.

"Yes, ma'am," said Jasper.

It was only half an hour later that they were ready to go.

"We had better feed before we leave," said Jasper. "It is a long flight."

"We can stop on the way to the airport," said Bella.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Jasper stopped the car in a seedy part of town and both of us hopped out.

Since they were in such a hurry they decided to hunt together instead of separately this time.

Bella leaned Jasper against the car to kiss him all the time looking for her target. Jasper responded to the kiss and they pretended to be making out all the while their senses were on high alert.

There was a man who was standing in an alleyway and from the fancy clothes he wore Bella knew that he was up to no good because what kind of person wears stuff that looks designer in the middle of such a seedy neighborhood unless they are either extremely stupid or criminals themselves. Bella noticed that the man's eyes kept shifting from side to side as if he was keeping an eye out for the authorities and the way he stood kind of casual like was practically asking for him to be boinked on the head and their valuables stolen unless everybody in the neighborhood knew better then to mess with him.

Bella sent Jasper a silent signal with her emotions and then looked directly at the man.

Jasper acknowledged Bella's silent single and the two of them began to move casually down the street at a human pace as if they didn't have a care in the world. When they got near the alleyway they waited hoping the man would move on and hopefully lead them somewhere that they both could feed without being seen.

Finally Jasper sent the man some impatience and the man began to move deeper into the alley and then onto a side street.

It wasn't more then a couple of minutes later when the man entered another building that looked as if it was abandoned and both Jasper and Bella entered right after. As soon as they did they saw another man handing the first man a package. It was then that they knew that they had walked into a drug deal. Jasper used his talent to put the men to sleep and then the two of them walked over to them.

"So should we wake them up and spice up their blood with a little fear?" asked Jasper with a wicked smirk.

"Sounds good to me," said Bella said returning her mate's smirk.

Jasper complied and sent out his usual, horror, fear and intimidation cocktail. It was the same cocktail he had used back in his days with Maria to get newborns under control.

The two men woke up and their hearts instantly started pounding.

"What do you want?" asked one of the men with a quiver in his voice.

"What do we want?" asked Bella seeming to think about it for a few seconds. "Why you of course."

With those words Jasper and Bella were on the two men so fast that they didn't have time to react before the two vampire latched onto the men's necks and began to drain them.

Bella licked her lips after she had finished her man and watched as her man finished his meal a few seconds later.

"I just love watching you feed," Bella murmured as she licked a trickle of blood that was running down her husband's chin. "Watching you hunt and feed is so damn sexy and it makes me so aroused that I just want to rip your clothes off and make love to you for days on end."

"I feel the same way about you," said Jasper his voice husky with need but also regret, "but unfortunately we don't have time for that right now as much as I would love to take you up on your offer."

"We'll just have to take a rain check then but trust me cowboy soon you are going to be all mine and I am going to make you roar my name as I have my wicked way with you."

Jasper's eyes darkened with passion and lust and he pulled Bella to him giving her a hard kiss and licking just a little blood off her cheek. "That will have to hold us for a while."

"If it must," Bella sighed sending Jasper her feelings of love, lust and desire and not more then a second later Jasper sent her the same. "I suppose we had better go. I'm sure the airport has our plane ready by now."

Jasper nodded and put his arm around Bella's waist and the two of them walked casually out of the building making it look as if they had just been out for a stroll.

Flashback

Jasper dropped Bella off at her house and then drove back home still seething about the conversation he had had with his mate. It wasn't Bella herself he was so furious at but the fact that she had assumed that he had brought her to the middle of nowhere just to break up with her and to tell her that they weren't mates and that he had been mistaken. Old Eddie had really done a number on her self-esteem although he knew that her own mother was largely to blame just like he had told Bella out in that meadow.

When Bella had called herself plain, ordinary and not special and had said that she didn't see what he saw in her, he had been ready to fly to Phoenix right then and there and hunt her mother down and kill her slowly because of the fact that it was mostly because of her that his Bella wasn't aware of her own self-worth or how beautiful she really was. All Bella saw was the burden she was to everyone and never saw the fact that a lot of people were better off just for having known her, the Cullens included, then if they had never known her at all.

The part of his personality known as The Major was in full agreement with Jasper on that one as he already loved Bella to which as not something Jasper had ever seen happening as that part of his personality was ruthless, merciless and felt no compassion whatsoever for anyone. Much to Jasper's surprise though that no longer seemed to be the case as it seemed The Major had also recognized Bella as his mate and would go out of his way to protect her from all danger. This made Jasper feel much better as he now knew that both sides of his personality were intent on protecting the woman he loved with all his heart, body, soul, and mind.

When Jasper finally reached home he stalked into the house and up to his study without a word to anyone closing the door behind him gently even though he really wanted to slam it shut with the strength of every single ounce of his anger behind it but he knew that if he did that not only would he destroy the door he would probably destroy the wall as well and then Esme would be very upset with him.

"You okay?" asked Rosalie coming into Jasper's study without a by your leave closing the door behind her. "Did your date with Bella not go well?"

"I don't want to talk about it Rose," said Jasper shortly.

"What is your problem?" Rose demanded angrily tossing her hair. "Just because your date with Bella didn't got well..."

"I'm sorry I snapped at you Rose," Jasper apologized sincerely interrupting her in mid-rant. "It wasn't that the date didn't go well it was what happened during it that has me so upset."

"So tell me, you'll feel better once you get it off your chest," said Rose calming down a little as she sat in one of the comfortable leather chairs that were in front of Jasper's desk.

Jasper gave in then without further argument as he knew Rose could be very persistent and would only keep annoying him until he told her.

So he told her the whole story about how Bella had assumed that he had brought her out to the middle of nowhere just to tell her that they weren't mates like he had thought and the conversation afterwards.

"That's just screwed up," said Rose when Jasper had finally finished. "I always kind of wondered where Bella's lack of self-confidence came from and now I know. It's no wonder she was always more comfortable around our kind then around people her own age though," she added shaking her head. "People like her mother should be put down like rats and just exterminated as it is no wonder the human race is so messed up with people like her out there."

"And I agree although I am also glad that Bella was born or I never would have met the woman I am meant to spend eternity with," said Jasper. "It's just that it is so frustrating that because of how Bella had to raise herself that she doesn't see how beautiful she really is. So what if she is not as gorgeous as you, not many people are," Rose smirked at the unintended compliment but stayed silent, "she is still very beautiful in her own way but trying to convince of that is like trying to get dogs and cats to cooperate with each other, or rain to fall upwards instead of down."

Rose laughed at the analogy, but agreed.

"I just love her so much," said Jasper softly. "I love her heart, her body, her soul, her mind, she is the perfect match for me in every way but getting her to actually see that..."

"It's like she sees everything through rose colored glasses instead of seeing things clearly," Rose suggested.

"That's a good analogy," Jasper admitted with a half a smile that didn't quite reach his golden eyes. "I mean she is intelligent, gentle, caring, loving and many more things besides but she doesn't see that. All she sees is the fact that in her view anyway is that she is plain, responsible and dependable and therefore not worthy of anybody's love or at least not romantic love. She thinks that just because she is those things that she is boring and that no man would want to have any kind of long term relationship with her. What she doesn't see is that while she may be responsible and dependable she is far from plain and that she has many more qualities that any man who took the time to really get to know her would then want her all for himself. Part of the problem you know is that the human race is hung up things that in the long run don't really matter, you know like how popular you are, whether you have made the right connections to get the job you want, what you look like, and whether you are gorgeous, plain, pretty or just ordinary. Humans concentrate more on what you look like on the outside instead of what you are on the inside which is what should really matter. Some people can be handsome on the outside but evil on the inside or vice versa of course. I mean just look at people like Ted Bundy who was handsome, personable, charismatic, popular and yet he murdered over fifty woman in the course of his career maybe even more, ones who were never found or at least never connected with him. He escaped from prison twice, went through three trials and died in the electric chair in 1989 at the age of forty-three after spending ten years in prison after his third trial."

"That's just sick, but you're also right, it isn't how you look on the outside but what is on the inside that matters. It will take time to convince her of that though, maybe even years," said Rose.

"I know," said Jasper with a sigh running a hand through his long blond hair in frustration, "but I love her with every atom of my body, my soul, my mind and my unbeating heart so I will definitely not be giving up, but I also guarantee you that if I ever get the chance I will slowly torture her mother for months until she is begging for mercy and death which I will not grant until I was damn good and ready."

"I thought you had tried to put that part of your life behind you?" asked Rose in concern.

"I did, but both the part of me that is Jasper Whitlock and the part of me that is The Major are in complete agreement as both sides of my personality love Bella. The demon in me is rattling the bars of his cage demanding that I hunt Bella's mother down and let him out so he can torture her for years for causing the woman he loves pain and not only pain, but to have all these emotional hangups. Instead of being confident in herself as a person of worth she is instead sure that no man will want her for any kind of loving relationship. She is unable to see due to her lack of self-confidence in herself that she is much more than what she sees herself as. I mean what teenager today goes out of her way to participate in the class discussion, is able to argue with most of the teachers about whatever they are debating and actually get the teacher to concede? Ninety percent of the teenagers today are lazy and never do more then they absolutely have to get a passing grade but Bella studies hard, reads more then most teens, and I'm not talking about the usual crap that most people her age read today, but classics, history and biographies as I've seen all those in her room when I was there so we never actually had to discuss it."

"I can see why you were meant to be mates," said Rose after a moment. "You both have many similar interests as even I know that there is more to a relationship then just being attracted to each other."

"Yes we do share a lot of similar interests," said Jasper his golden eyes softening as he thought of the many lively discussions that he and Bella had already had in just the few months they had been dating. "We both like to read, listen to some of the same music, or just enjoy spending time together not necessarily needing to say anything at all watching the sun set, we even like a lot of the same movies. You know the one thing that I love about her above all else though?" asked Jasper.

"What?" asked Rose raising a perfectly trimmed eyebrow curiously.

"Unlike with Alice or even Carlisle and Esme, Bella immediately accepted me for who I am. I expected her to reject me after I told her of my history but she didn't and in fact pointed out to me that just because I was made for war did not dictate who I was now. She told me that despite everything I had been through I had risen above it and become the good man that she had fallen in love with."

"Well there is more to Bella Swan then I realized," said Rose with a small quirk of her lips.

"Oh, yes once you really get to know her you will see that she is one of the most selfless people you have ever met. She accepts everyone with her whole heart and never holds a grudge, well except against people who have hurt her or someone she loves."

"Like Edward," Rose suggested with a full smile this time.

"Yes, like Edward," Jasper agreed solemnly. "She also makes me feel better about myself then I have in a very long time and she accepted my scars immediately when I showed her a couple I have on my chest she did not feel one ounce of disgust when she saw them but goes out of her way to assure me every day that she loves me and that my past or my scars don't matter to her. I probably never would have believed her if not for the fact that I can feel every single one of her emotions and I have never felt anything except the love and adoration she has for me. I mean even you and Emmett were afraid of my scars when I first came to live with the Cullens."

"Yes that's true enough but it didn't take either of us long to realize you were a good person and that all your scars meant was that you had survived a rather violent past."

"Which I am grateful for as not even Alice has ever accepted my scars and in fact hates them which is why I am always wearing long sleeve shirts. It's easier just to do what she wants then to argue with her," said Jasper.

Rose's lips twitched a little trying to keep from laughing as what Jasper said was true that it was just easier to give in to the pixie they all loved then to argue with her.

"Well I wish you luck in getting Bella to realize that she is worth more then a hundred Edwards," Rose finally said sincerely.

"I certainly intend to, even if it takes me the next hundred years to do so," said Jasper determinedly. "Thank you for listening Rose, you have helped me a great deal to put things in perspective."

"You're more than welcome, Jasper," Rose assured him.

"Do me a favor and don't tell anyone of this conversation," Jasper requested. "The last thing I need is to have Emmett tease Bella about it and for her to decide I betrayed her confidence and start to pull away from me."

The great thing about Jasper's study was that it was soundproofed as he had requested it that way the last time the house had been remodeled. Alice had never told him specifically why he would need the soundproofing but he always listened to her advice and now he was damn glad he had for even a vampire couldn't hear through soundproof walls just so long as they kept their voices low and one of them wasn't standing directly outside the door.

"I will," Rose promised giving him a hug before turning around and exiting the room quietly.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"So what is being a vampire like?" asked Bella as she and Jasper lay on her bed with her head on his chest. "I'm not talking about the physical changes since we already had that discussion not to long ago but actual life as a vampire," she added.

"Well," Jasper began thoughtfully. "Living forever and not needing to sleep can sometimes make life rather tedious. Sometimes, especially the older you get, it is harder to find stuff to keep your mind busy. Of course since we are now mated it probably won't be as hard to find stuff to do simply because that some things are no fun to do alone and since I now have someone to do them with I'm looking more forward to my life then I have in a long time. When one is alone it is harder to keep yourself from being bored but with both of us together I doubt either of us will be bored anytime soon. I am really looking forward to just spending everyday with you and it doesn't matter what we are doing as long as we are together."

"That's poetic and very sweet," Bella said giving him a kiss.

"I never considered myself either poetic or sweet until I met you," Jasper told her giving her another kiss. "You just bring it out in me."

Bella blushed at the compliment but after a moment asked, "So will learning to drink blood be hard?"

"Not really," said Jasper after a moment a little surprised at the question even though he knew he shouldn't be as Bella did tend to hop from subject to subject sometimes. It just seemed to be the way her brain worked and just showed how intelligent she really was. "Vampires are creatures of instinct especially when doing certain things hunting and making love being just two of these. When you do hunt, especially the first time instinct will play a very large in part how you feed. All you will have to do is hear all those beating hearts and smell the blood running in their veins and instinct will immediately take over and you will be upon whatever the source is in seconds whether that is a herd of deer or a mountain lion."

"And if it's human?" asked Bella tentatively.

"Well if you decide to hunt humans or even if its just an accident the very same thing will happen especially for your first couple of years. Vampires are creatures of instinct after all and since most us were changed under rather violent circumstances we are almost like a human baby who is just learning how to walk or talk."

Bella was silent as she absorbed that and Jasper kept a mental eye on her emotions, but all he felt was that she was thoughtful and not the least scared or disgusted by what they were discussing. Jasper mentally shook his head as he knew that almost anybody else would have run away screaming by now a the mere thought of becoming a creature of legend, hunting animals without a gun, or drinking blood but Bella accepted everything almost to easily, not that he was complaining.

"Will I be a wild, uncontrollable newborn?" asked Bella finally.

"Well I'm not really sure," Jasper admitted.

"Why not?" asked Bella curiously.

"Well because as I mentioned just a few minutes ago most vampires were changed under rather violent circumstances and have no idea what is happening to them until afterwards, but you on the other hand, not only know about vampires, but have accepted that you are going to be changed and as far as I know that has never happened so whether or not that will make a difference I'm not sure. I suspect however, that it will probably make at least some difference although that is just a guess based on past experience."

"So what do you think I will be like as a newborn?" asked Bella curiously.

"Well you will probably be much more in control and more rational then any others I've changed simply because you have accepted becoming a vampire. For one thing if what I suspect is true you will probably be able to hold an entirely logical conversation without twitching just so long as you are well fed first, but other then that I'm not sure so we will just have to wait and see."

"Aren't most newborns able to hold a logical conversation?"

"Oh no most newborns are only focused on two things, feeding and trying to deal with all the changes that becoming one of our kind brings. They don't really start to become more normal for at least a year sometimes longer depending on the person of course as everyone is different."

They were both silent for a while and eventually Bella started to drift off to sleep her head still on Jasper's chest. Jasper gladly held her in his arms breathing in the scent of her hair all through the night as he got lost in his own thoughts.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Bella I'm afraid your father has been shot," Deputy Stevens informed with grief in his voice. It was several weeks after the conversation that Bella and Jasper had had in her bedroom about what life as a vampire and hunting would be like.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked Bella worriedly.

"He was going into surgery when I left," said Stevens. "The doctors said he didn't have much of a chance."

It was just a week after graduation and her and Jasper had been together for just over three months. It had been the best three months of her life and now this happened.

"I'll meet you at the hospital," said Bella.

"Okay, I'm sorry for your loss. The whole town will miss him."

"Save your condolences, he's not dead yet," said Bella breaking the connection while trying not to cry and failing miserably.

Bella sniffled and dialed Jasper's number. "Jasper?" asked Bella still crying.

"Darlin' what's wrong?" asked Jasper.

"My father has been shot, he isn't expected to make it. Could you come and pick me up I don't think I should be driving right now."

"I'll be there in five minutes," Jasper promised his voice sounding distraught. "I'm sure Carlisle is doing everything he can for your father."

"I know he'll do everything he can but even he can't perform miracles," said Bella.

Jasper kept Bella talking on the phone until he arrived at her house and when he did Bella leaped into his arms and let the tears she had been suppressing run free.

"I'm so sorry about your father, darlin'," Jasper said soothingly sending her his love, compassion and worry.

"Why did this have to happen? I was going to pretend to go away to college so you could change me and I was going to keep in contact with him through phone calls, at least for a few years and now he might not make it."

"Let's get to the hospital, we can figure out the rest later. I'm glad you called me by the way, I don't even want to think of what could have happened if you had tried to drive in the state you are in," said Jasper.

"I should call Renee, she should be here," said Bella.

"So why don't you?" asked Jasper as he drove to the hospital.

"I suppose I should," said Bella unenthusiastically pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. "I warn you my mother is a little, well—flighty."

"I'll be on my best behavior when I meet her," Jasper promised.

"Hello mom? Dad has been shot." Bella talked for a few minutes and then hung up. "She promised to be here tomorrow."

Jasper nodded just as they arrived at the hospital.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"We are gathered here today to say goodbye to Charlie Swan our beloved Police Chief and friend to all who knew him," the minister began.

Bella and Jasper were both sitting in the front row dressed all in black. The rest of the family was there as well but a couple of rows back. Charlie had not made it through surgery and had died not long after Bella had gotten to the hospital. Carlisle had done all he could but Charlie had had a bullet in his left lung as well as a wound in his side that had caused him to lose a lot of blood. Unfortunately Charlie had not been the only one killed but so had her long time friend Jacob Black who had only been sixteen and several of her schoolmates including Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton.

It had all happened at a bonfire on the beach in La Push. It was just supposed to be kind of a graduation party but somehow gunfire had broken out and the police still weren't sure how.

Most of the perpetrators were in jail awaiting trial for murder but a couple of them were dead.

Jasper gently squeezed Bella's arms and she knew that that was his signal to pay attention as they must be at the flag folding part.

Bella watched numbly as the flag was folded twelve times into what looked like a bicorn hat by six men, three on each side of the casket and one of the officers brought it over to her. Renee of course had never shown up even though she had said she would there so in her mind not only had she lost her father but her mother as well.

"On behalf of the President of the United States and the people of a grateful nation, may I present this flag as a token of appreciation for the honorable and faithful service your loved one rendered this nation," the officer said kneeling and presenting the flag to Bella using the prepared speech that was used for someone who had been in the Army. "We are deeply sorry for your loss Miss Swan. Your father was a good man and a good Chief. The whole department will miss him and grieve for his senseless death in the line of duty," the officer added handing her the flag with Charlie's badge pinned one edge.

"Thank you," said Bella quietly, but sincerely taking the flag the tears finally falling from her eyes as she finally started to grieve for her father.

Bella watched as they put her father's coffin into the ground and piled the dirt back on top placing the headstone at the head of the grave.

R.I.P.

Charlie Swan

October 7 1962 – August 19 2006

Killed in the line of duty

Loving father and good friend

May he rest in peace knowing that he died protecting the innocent so others could live freely and without fear.

"Straight is the line of duty; Curved is the line of beauty; Follow the straight line, thou shalt see the curved line ever follow thee."

—William MacCall

"Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles, and kindnesses, and small obligations, given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort."

—Humphrey Davy

The service then ended and Bella walked up numbly to her father's coffin and said quietly, "I will always love you daddy, but I have a different road to take now. You never met Jasper, but I want you to know that I love him with all my heart and that he will take care of me."

Bella swiftly turned and walked into Jasper's arms as he held her and comforted her silently.

"Where are the others?" asked Bella finally looking around.

"They already headed back to the house. They wanted to give you some privacy we're supposed to meet them there."

"Let's go then," said Bella quietly taking Jasper's hand.

It had already been decided over the last week that Bella would move in with the Cullens and her father's house would be sold.

"I'm here if you need me, Isabella," said Jasper.

"I know and knowing you and the rest of the family are there for me is the only thing keeping me from grieving more than I am," Bella told him giving his cold, stonelike hand a gentle squeeze in gratitude. "Let's go home."

"Yes, ma'am," said Jasper leading her to his car.

"So what does this mean for my change?" asked Bella.

"Well I think you need to fully grieve for your father before you are changed because you don't want to carry that grief into your immortal life," said Jasper gently hoping that Bella wasn't going to explode which was a possibility since her emotions at the moment were all over the place.

Bella was quiet for a moment appearing deep in thought and finally when she spoke they were almost back to the Cullen house, "I want to be changed in October on Charlie's birthday which gives me a a little over month and a half to grieve."

"That might be to soon," Jasper warned. "Grieving for someone you loved takes time and everyone is different in how they go through the process."

"In a way I was expecting this," Bella said quietly. "I mean for the last year my life has been a rollercoaster, what with me meeting Edward, finding out he was a vampire when he saved my life from Tyler's van, meeting the rest of the Cullens, being tracked by James and lured to that ballet studio, the birthday party where you discovered I was your mate and finally my father's death. I did figure that Charlie would be killed by a rogue vampire though instead of some drunk and drugged out high school boys with guns. I won't deny that I need some time to grieve but I believe that six weeks from now I will be ready to be changed and to be with you forever."

"I will make you a promise, here and now, darlin'," said Jasper, "if and only if I believe you have fully grieved will I change you."

"Fair enough, thank you," said Bella giving him a kiss on the cheek.

End Flashback

"Hey you made it," yelled Char as she ran out of the house to give both Bella and Jasper hugs.

"Of course we did," said Bella returning Charlotte's hug. "It's so good to see you Char."

"It's good to see you to," said Char. "I know we talk on the phone frequently but it's just not quite the same you know."

"I know," Bella agreed. "How are you doing Uncle Peter?"

"I'm just fine, sugar," said Peter coming over and giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "It's so good of you to come out to see us."

"Hey what can I say except I missed your crazy ass and that of your better half," Bella teased.

"Better half? Sugar that is so untrue," Peter pouted.

"No it's not," said Char, Bella and Jasper together laughing at Peter's expression.

"I am your better half and you know it," Char teased her mate.

Peter pouted again but didn't say anything because he knew he couldn't.

"Come on inside and Major I hope you brought your guitar," Peter said instead changing the subject.

"Bella insisted that I do," said Jasper.

"Good for you, sugar," Char told Bella.

Bella shrugged, "What can I say except I think Jasper has a beautiful voice but so do you guys and although I enjoy him singing solo it's nice for him to sing with other people sometimes.

"Does that include you to?" asked Peter knowing that Bella wasn't sure of her singing voice and had so far refused to sing with anyone but Jasper who swore she had the voice of an angel. Even after her change in some ways Bella was still that shy human girl who had very low self-esteem, got embarrassed easily and hated being the center of attention. Bella had gotten a lot better over the last century and a lot of her emotional hangups that she had had in her human life had disappeared with Jasper's constant encouragement and a little experience, but the one thing that had never changed was that fact that even as a human Bella had hated being the center of attention and that was just as true as a vampire even after a hundred years as one of the undead.

"I'll think about it," Bella said refusing to commit herself one way or the other.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Well darlin' what would it take for me to get you to sing with me tonight?" asked Jasper as they laid on the bed holding each other.

"Hm, I don't know," said Bella appearing deep in thought. "How about a trip to Italy to see Jane, Heidi and Demetri? We haven't been in a while and I miss them."

Jasper nodded and agreed. Ever since they had become consultants for the Volturi Bella had made friends with a lot of the guards and other people that worked for the three kings, but Jane, Heidi and Demetri were closer to her then the others and were basically not only her siblings but his as well.

"Okay that sounds good and I miss them to you know," said Jasper. "I consider them just as much my siblings as Peter and Char or Rose and Emmett."

"Then I suppose I'll have to sing," Bella sighed her emotions indicating reluctance.

"Trust me darlin' you have a beautiful voice," said Jasper running a hand through her hair.

"So you say but then again you really have to since you are my husband," said Bella. "I'm still not so sure."

Jasper sighed knowing Bella's low self-esteem on certain things stemmed from her human life and the fact that she had never liked to be the center of attention and that included from her own family.

"When everyone gives you a standing ovation don't be surprised," said Jasper.

"I won't be since it won't happen," said Bella.

Jasper didn't say anything but he was absolutely sure that Bella would get that standing ovation by the time she was done singing.

"As much as I would love to keep you in my arms the rest of the night we had better be getting outside, Peter and Char are waiting," said Jasper.

"If you insist," said Bella rising from the bed and heading towards the bedroom door Jasper following.

Flashback

Bella gathered up the last of her things and Jasper took the box out to his car. It was several weeks later and the house had been up for sale and Bella had just finished cleaning out her father's things as well as her own deciding what she wanted to keep and what she wanted to get rid of.

"You doing okay?" asked Jasper as he and Bella headed out to his car.

"I'll be fine," said Bella quietly. "Just going through Charlie's things has helped me a lot. I just wish that I could have had a chance to tell him about you and how happy you have made me. All Charlie knew was that I had broken up with Edward and he was beyond happy about that as he couldn't stand him. He never knew though that I was dating someone else as you were supposed to be away at college and I didn't want to cause problems for your family if dad told Billy who I was dating which would have been a likely possibility as they talked about everything. What makes it worse though is not only did my father, die but Jacob whom I had known since I was a baby. We were very good friends at one time and he was only sixteen. I could understand my father dying he was after all in a dangerous line of work but Jacob had barely lived at all and now he is dead."

"I am sorry about your father and about Jacob. You are right in that sixteen is to young to die. Things happen sometimes though and as sorry as I am about their deaths I am equally glad that you decided not to go to that graduation party at the beach at La Push at the last minute or I could have lost you forever. La Push is the one place I cannot protect you since as a vampire I am not allowed on the reservation thanks to the treaty."

"That's one of the reasons I decided not to go but the main one is that I've never been one for partying or getting drunk. It didn't seem to matter that all the kids at the party weren't more than eighteen or nineteen and who in there ever loving minds just decides one day that talking illegal drugs is a good idea? The human race is really messed up when some boys who are about my age buy and then consume cocaine which is known as an illegal drug for a reason. Then they not only are stupid enough to take cocaine but then drink it down with alcohol chasers making it worse. Is it just me or has the human race just gotten stupider instead of smarter? How could those idiots do something so hairbrained and not expect to get into some sort of trouble for it? Now since all of them are over eighteen they'll be tried as adults and probably spend the rest of their lives in prison and killing a cop especially the chief of police no less just makes those charges a hundred times worse."

"I believe that for killing a police office it is either life in prison or death, but since this is those boys first offense it will more then likely be life in prison," said Jasper as soon as he could get a word in edgewise. It was several weeks since Charlie Swan's death and this was the first time that Jasper had been able to get Bella to talk about it...well rant would be a better term he supposed, not that he could blame her really as she had not only lost her father and best friend but essentially her mother as well. Even if Renee Dwyer was still alive Bella had disowned her when she had even shown up for her ex-husband's funeral even after she had promised to be there.

"Life in prison is to good for them," said Bella. "You're probably right that that is what they will receive, but as forgiving as I usually am I hope at least the ringleaders get the death penalty." Bella was quiet for awhile then said, "I didn't used to wish bad on anyone, but what happened that night is just so stupid. It all could have been avoided if those boys had just thought about what taking drugs, not to mention drinking alcohol would do to them. Perhaps if it had been one or the other that massacre at the graduation party wouldn't have occurred."

"Or perhaps it would have," said Jasper. "Bella you cannot live thinking of what if's. You will find once you have been alive for awhile that humans can be very stupid and not just humans, but any intelligent species has the capacity to make stupid decisions and that includes vampires. It seems to be one of the downfalls of not only being intelligent but rational, thinking, emotional beings."

"Have you ever made any stupid decisions?" asked Bella.

"Oh yes, plenty of them. I have been alive for over a hundred and fifty years after all and in that amount of time it is easy to make decisions you later regret but that are to late to take back."

"Such as?" asked Bella.

"Well..." said Jasper as he went on to tell Bella some of the stupid decisions he had made in his over the century and a half of his existence and soon Bella was laughing so hard that tears were leaking out of the corners or her eyes. Jasper was relieved for laughter could often be healing and that seemed to be true in this case to as Bella's emotions of grief and loss eased. They didn't totally disappear of course as Jasper knew that would take time.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"I'm going hunting, with Emmett and Rosalie but I won't be far," Jasper told Bella.

It was four and a half weeks later and Jasper admitted to himself that Bella had been right in her predictions about how long it would take her to get through the grieving process. She was doing much better the he had expected and at the rate she was grieving she would probably make the October 7 date for her change. Going through her father's things while deciding what to keep and what to throw out or give away had helped the process along and also Bella had had her father's flag from the funeral framed with his badge still pinned to one edge framed.

"All right, I'll see you when you all get back," said Bella looking up from the book she was reading. "I love you."

"I love you to," said Jasper giving her a quick kiss before heading out to meet his siblings.

"How are you doing dear?" asked Esme coming into the living room after Jasper had left.

"I'm doing okay," said Bella. "Going through Charlie's things helped and so did selling the house. Don't get me wrong I will always miss him but he is in a better place now and that helps me put things in perspective."

"You're doing very well," said Esme giving Bella a hug. "I'm looking forward to you as a vampire

"Thanks. I'm not looking forward to the pain of the change, but I know with Jasper there I will be okay."

"I'm sure you will be," said Esme. "You're strong, the way you stood up to Edward proves that and that will help."

"I am sorry about what happened with Edward," Bella said quietly. "I had no idea that he would do what he did. I mean I knew he would be upset when I broke it off with him, but I had no idea that he would get violent."

"It's hardly your fault dear," said Esme. "As much as I hate to admit it I have come to realize that the man I considered my son is seriously disturbed."

"That doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt," admitted Bella quietly. "It makes me think that I never knew the real Edward Masen."

"No unfortunately it does still hurt but it will fade with time," said Esme hugging Bella gently.

"I think I'm going to go upstairs and take a shower," said Bella.

"Alright," said Esme. "Would you like some lunch after you get done with your shower?"

"That sounds nice, thank you," said Bella rising and heading upstairs.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Bella got out of the shower a few minutes later and began to get dressed and dry her hair. As Bella sat on Jasper's bed and brushed her hair she began to hear a crackling sound and not more then a second later she smelled smoke

What's that noise? she wondered silently.

Bella got up and headed to the door of the bedroom and opened the door. When she did open the door to her horror she saw flames almost directly outside her door. Bella stepped back from the heat and frantically looked for an escape route.

"Carlisle? Esme? Alice? Fire! Fire!"

"Get out of here Bella," Alice yelled loud enough to be heard above the crackling flames. "Jump out the window! It's the only way you will survive."

"But what about you?" asked Bella frantically.

"It's to late for me and Carlisle and Esme are already gone. This was a setup, goodbye Bella." Alice's voice faded and Bella momentarily panicked. If she didn't break her neck jumping out of a fourth story window then she was bound to at least break most of her bones. What choice did she have though if she wanted any chance at surviving and having an eternity with the man she loved more then her own life.

Bella frantically raced to the window and tossed out the case with her father's flag and badge determined to save that at least. She heard it crash to the ground and the glass breaking, the wood of the frame shattering.

Here goes nothing, Bella thought knowing to jump from so high up was almost a certain death sentence but also knowing that if she did not she would be burned to death.

Bella screwed up her courage and jumped out the window.

Oh Jasper I love you. Please don't kill yourself over me, Bella thought as she fell towards the ground.

Bella hit the ground just a few seconds later and immediately blacked out from the impact and the pain of broken bones.

End Flashback

Bella, Jasper, Peter and Char all gathered outside around a firepit and Peter had already gathered firewood and started a roaring fire.

"I convinced Bella to sing," Jasper told Peter and Char quietly as Bella took a seat on one of the logs surrounding the firepit.

"How'd you do it?" asked Char. "She's been telling everyone who asks her to sing no for twenty years."

"I can be very persistent and she knows I never give up," said Jasper who smirked in his wife's direction.

"But Bella's always been stubborn," said Peter as he looked at his niece who looked at all three of them with a raised eyebrow as they were talking softly and she was sitting far enough away that she couldn't hear what they were saying although she could guess. Bella looked away and the other three could tell she was embarrassed even though she couldn't blush anymore.

"I know and believe me I've thought often over the years that I wish I could bring Renee back to life so that I could torture her for months or even years instead of just four days. It's mainly because of her that Bella is like she is. I'm not saying that some of Bella's insecurities wouldn't still be there, but she would more then likely have fewer of them."

"She has fewer hangups then she used to," Peter said. "Didn't you tell us that you finally got her to stop looking at price tags and buy whatever she likes and also accept that she has so much money now?"

"I did and it took me more then thirty years to do it to, but at least she doesn't have that particular hangup anymore, but her dislike of being the center of attention is so deeply ingrained that it will probably always remain to some degree," said Jasper, "and that right there is where most if not all her insecurities come from. At least I finally convinced her that I was never going to want anybody else for as you know she used to get jealous and insecure every time another woman even looked in my direction which was whenever we went out in public and often wondered what I saw in her as she told me more then once that I could have any girl I wanted. It took me more then five years to convince her I wasn't ever going to bother looking at another woman when I had her."

"And you didn't get jealous whenever a man looked at her?" asked Char with a raised eyebrow.

"I never said I didn't notice, but I don't usually get jealous about it as Bella never pays them any attention. Unlike her, well at least in the beginning I was secure in our relationship, but that's probably only because I had been a vampire for a while and I knew how a mating bond worked and she didn't. Even after I explained to her how a mating bond works and how once mates find each other that they are totally focused on the person they are meant to be with she didn't believe it for a long time and it took constant effort on my part to get through to her that I was not going to want anybody else when I had her, not that I would live long if anything happened to her," said Jasper and Peter and Char nodded in agreement for they felt the same way about each other. Once mated one rarely lived if the other died but luckily for them vampires were extremely hard to kill. "I'm also sure that even if we weren't mated she probably never would notice as she has always seen herself as plain and I've never been able to convince her otherwise even though we've been married for a hundred years. She never sees that men are always practically falling all over themselves to get her attention. She finally accepted that I think she is beautiful and I suppose that's all that really matters although I wish I could convince her that she is gorgeous because she might have a little more self-confidence in situations like singing in front of anyone but me if I could."

"If you haven't convinced her after a century it isn't to likely that you ever will," said Char.

"Believe me, I know it," said Jasper. "You know the funny thing is that whenever we are doing our jobs for the Volturi or hunting humans in order to feed she is perfectly confident in what she is doing and enjoys it immensely but get her in a social situation where she is the center of everyone's attention even if that is just the family and she starts getting all embarrassed. I suppose I will just have to accept that she is like she is and that particular trait isn't going to change. I love her so that hasn't been a problem besides I have my faults to and she accepted them and always has even in the very beginning so how could I do any less?"

"We all have our faults," Peter said. "I know I do. Besides that is what it means to really love someone, to accept them for who they are faults and all and not try to change them."

"That's very profound, Peter," Jasper complimented his brother looking shocked that such words had come from Peter's lips as he was usually never serious but then again he loved his niece just as much as he loved Char or him so he supposed it was understandable.

"Thanks," said Peter trying not to appear embarrassed at being serious for once instead of his usual jokester self.

"We were once human after all and we all know that a lot of our traits are augmented after the change and since Bella's insecurity was so ingrained before she was changed it was just one of the traits that stayed with her afterwards," said Char.

"I suppose I should be grateful that she is no longer clumsy and I am as she really did make clumsiness into an art form, but I also wish I could convince her that at least around her family being the center of attention is not a bad thing and nobody is going to make fun or laugh at her which is where I believe most of her problems stem from," said Jasper with a sigh. "She told me once that she was picked on all the way through her school years so she did her best to just fade into the background. That kind of thing can effect you for the rest of your life if you let it and Bella feels things so deeply and did even as a human that I believe it is one of the main reasons she is like she is. Nobody likes to be picked on, but it effects people differently and Bella has always been sensitive."

"You will just have to keep trying and encouraging her to try new things," said Char.

"I will, but not only is hating being the center of attention deeply ingrained so is her stubbornness and when you combine the two, well you get the idea."

The other two nodded in agreement and Jasper took his guitar off his shoulder and went to sit down on one of the logs facing the fire and started playing a song that Bella knew well and knew that was on purpose as he wanted her to be comfortable with what she was singing. Bella gathered up her courage and started singing softly at first and then louder as she really got lost in the music.

I try but I can't seem to get myself

To think of anything but you

Your breath on my face

Your warm gentle kiss I taste the truth

I taste the truth

We know what I came here for

So I won't ask for more

I wanna be with you

If only for a night

To be the one who's in your arms

Who holds you tight

I wanna be with you

There's nothing more to say

There's nothing else I want more

Than to feel this way

I wanna be with you yeah

So I'll hold you tonight

Like I would if you were mine

To hold forevermore

And I'll savor each touch

That I wanted so much to feel before

To feel before

How beautiful it is

Just to be like this

I wanna be with you

If only for a night

To be the one who's in your arms

Who holds you tight

I wanna be with you

There's nothing more to say

There's nothing else I want more

Than to feel this way

I wanna be with you

Oh baby

I can't fight this feeling anymore

It drives me crazy when I try to

So come on and

Take my hand

Can you make my wish

Baby your command yeah

I wanna be with you

There's nothing more to say

There's nothing else I want more

Than to feel this way

I wanna be with you

Oh yeah I wanna be with you

Wanna be with you yeah

I wanna be

I wanna be with you yeah yeah

I wanna be I wanna be baby

I wanna be

I wanna be with you yeah

Wanna be with you

I Wanna Be With You

– Mandy Moore

When the last note had died away and Bella had fallen silent both Peter and Char stood up and gave her a standing ovation just like Jasper knew they would.

Bella looked embarrassed as both came up to her to congratulate her.

"Jasper was right, you do have to voice of an angel," said Char. "You'll have to sing for us again."

"We'll see," said Bella not making any promises one way or the other.

"I'm proud of you," said Peter giving Bella a hug.

"Thank you Uncle Peter," said Bella returning the hug still looking a little embarrassed at the praise but accepting it nonetheless.

Flashback

"Bella! Bella! Can you hear me?" yelled Jasper.

"Is she going to be alright?" asked Emmett.

"I don't now," said Jasper cradling Bella in his arms tenderly. "I don't think she'll ever walk again if she remains human. I don't have the medical training that Carlisle had, but I have learned a few things in all my years. It feels as if her spinal cord was severed with the fall and she has multiple broken bones in her legs and arms. She is damned lucky she didn't break her neck or land on a piece of glass."

"Well you were going to change her into a vampire anyway in the next week or so, so why not do that now?" Rosalie suggested trying to hide her own panic.

"I won't do it without her permission," said Jasper resolutely.

"Well can you wake her up and ask her then?" asked Emmett.

"Bella, Bella can you hear me!" yelled Jasper frantically using his talent to try to wake her up.

"Jasper," Bella whimpered/groaned her voice so quiet that if the three people surrounding her hadn't been vampires then they never would have heard her. Bella woke up enough to realize that she was in someone's arms being held gently as she was in a great deal of pain.

"Bella, darlin', I need permission to change you," said Jasper. "Your injuries are serious and even if you survive you'll more then likely be crippled."

"Yes," whispered Bella quietly her voice low, hoarse and full of unimaginable pain.

Jasper immediately responded and laid her gently down on the ground making sure all her limbs were straight. "Go bring the car around would you? We'll need to leave here immediately once I've bitten her."

Emmett nodded and he and Rosalie immediately left to get the car.

"This is going to hurt and I'm sorry for that, but know I love you, heart, body, soul and mind and we will be together forever," said Jasper gently biting into Bella's neck making sure to release as much of his venom as possible. Her blood was sweet and delicious, but it had no effect on him and so he released her neck and then bit her wrists and then the inside of each ankle each time releasing as much venom as he possibly could.

"I love you," Bella whispered just before her body was wracked with pain and she screamed.

Jasper gently picked her up what he heard the sound of an engine. "Where to?" asked Emmett.

"For now we'll take her to the house in Alaska," Jasper decided. "Rosalie would you mind staying here and seeing what happened to Carlisle, Esme and Alice? Also see what caused this and maybe gather a few things if you can?"

Rosalie nodded, "I'll meet you in Alaska, probably tomorrow."

"Please be careful, babe," said Emmett. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."

"I can take care of myself," said Rosalie tossing her long, blond hair, "but don't worry, I'll be careful. Now you get going and I'll be there before Bella has finished changing."

Emmett gave his wife a quick kiss and then headed the jeep in the direction of Alaska. As soon as they were out of the town limits Emmett sped up until they were going over a hundred miles an hour.

"How is she?" asked Emmett as Bella whimpered again.

"She's in a lot of pain because I can feel it radiating off her, but we expected that."

"Then why isn't she screaming?" asked Emmett as he looked at Jasper holding Bella in the backseat worriedly.

"I don't know and if I couldn't feel her pain or hear her heart beat I would be more worried," said Jasper stroking Bella's hair soothingly.

"So what do you believe caused the fire?" asked Emmett.

"I don't know for sure but I have my suspicions."

"What do you suspect?" asked Emmett curiosity coming off him.

"I think that Edward was so upset about the breakup with Bella and the fact that Carlisle and Esme threw him out of the family that he came back for revenge."

"No! You don't really believe that Edward would go so far do you?" asked Emmett. "I mean I know he was upset that Bella broke up with him but isn't that a little much?"

Jasper shook his head and said, "You didn't feel his emotions at the time he attacked Bella or when Carlisle threw him out of the family. After that all he wanted was revenge and even though he tried to appear calm it's harder to hide your emotions. His emotions on both occasions were a mixture of anger, a desire for revenge, malice and determination to get what he wanted. I should have been more watchful because if anybody knows what those kind of emotions can do to you it is me. I never would have let him live back in the day."

"Don't blame yourself, bro," said Emmett. "Carlisle, made you do what you did."

"I realize that, just like I know that Carlisle was compassionate and that he and Esme didn't want to see their first son burnt to ashes but there is a very fine line between being compassionate and being foolish and I think letting Edward live was a very bad idea."

Bella let out a scream just then and Jasper stopped talking and tried to absorb as much of her pain as he could.

"So what do you think Bella will be like as a vampire?" asked Emmett when Bella had fallen silent again.

"I don't know for sure but I have a feeling she probably won't be like most newborns."

"Why?" asked Emmett, curiosity in his voice as well as radiating off of him.

"As you know most vampires are changed against their will and have no idea that such supernatural beings exist until afterwards, Bella on the other hand not only knew about vampires but accepted that she was going to become one and because of that I believe she'll be more rational then your normal newborn. I'm not saying she won't have a few problems like trying to control her strength and such, but I believe her mind will be more focused. She will probably even be able to hold a logical conversation without twitching so long as she is not thirsty. As you know most newborns aren't very rational during their first year and sometimes longer then that."

"You may be right," Emmett admitted. "She never avoided us like most people do instinctually and not only that she goes out of her way to become friends with us. I've always believed, although Rose didn't agree with me until recently, that Bella was born to be one of us."

"I've always thought so to even though Edward kept her away from me so I never got a chance to know her until after her birthday party. I never liked how he treated her though even when they first started dating and I'm glad Bella finally realized on her own that he treated her like crap."

"Yeah, I see that now even, though I didn't at the time. If I had been paying attention to the dynamics between them then I would have seen it sooner and maybe said something to her."

"I'm sure she wouldn't have believed it," said Jasper. "With that kind of thing you need to have an open mind and see the faults of the other person for yourself. If you had said anything it is possible that she would have turned against you which I'm sure Edward would have loved."

Both men fell silent for a while Jasper stroked Bella's hair and sent her his love.

"I have a question for you," said Jasper after a few minutes of silence, except for Bella's whimpers and occasional scream.

"Ask your question, I promise not to judge you or even tell Rose if you don't want me to," said Emmett feeling the apprehension that Jasper probably didn't realize he was projecting.

"Well I was thinking about going back to drinking human blood," said Jasper.

"What about what the emotions you feel when you are draining a human?" asked Emmett sounding as calm as if they talking about the weather. "Not to mention what will it do to Bella?"

"Well the reason I thought about going back to human blood is a conversation Bella and I had about a week after we found out about the mate bond. Bella said that she wouldn't judge me if I wanted to drink human blood and then told me that no one judged her when she ate a steak so what was the difference? She also said that if I did that she would prefer me going after criminals, you know murderers rapists, drug dealers and the like. I haven't actually tried it, but I don't think I would feel guilty about getting rid of such people."

"Bella actually told you that?" asked Emmett shaking his head in amazement. "Well there is more to my little sis then I ever knew."

"You sure are taking this calmly Emmett," said Jasper checking his brother's emotions which were calm and accepting.

"I don't have any right to judge you," said Emmett simply. "I know Carlisle was a pacifist and believed in the sanctity of human life and up to a point so do Rose and I. Carlisle didn't like to take a life not even those pieces of scum that hurt innocent people. However, Rose and I have a different view. You know how we like to travel and be away from the family sometimes for months at a time?"

"Yes," said Jasper wondering where this was going.

"Well both Rose and I have experimented with hunting humans, criminals of course, while we are on these so-called vacations."

"You mean you go back and forth?" asked Jasper truly surprised.

"Yes," said Emmett, "so you see I don't have any right to judge if you do want to start drinking from humans again and Rose will feel the same."

"How in the world did you and Rose ever keep the fact that you drink human blood from that nosy, judgmental, self-centered child?" asked Jasper refusing to say Edward's name.

Emmett smirked and said, "Rose and I simply thought about sex and what we'd like to do to each other whenever Edward was near. You know how prudish he was and that made him stay out of our heads as much as possible."

Jasper chuckled and patted Emmett on the shoulder. "Good job."

"Thanks," said Emmett smirking again. "So do you think Bella will want to drink human blood when she wakes up?"

"I don't know, we never got around to talking about it," said Jasper. "The fact of the matter is that I was going to bring it up in a few days when it got closer to the time of her change and see what she thought about it. Unfortunately, I never got the chance. I don't care what kind of blood she drinks one way or the other and if she decides to live on animal blood I won't object."

"You know," said Emmett sounding thoughtful which was very unusual for him as usually he was never serious or thoughtful and always playful and a prankster, "as much as I love Carlisle and Esme I think it was kind of unfair of them to make anybody who was a member of their family drink only animal blood. I mean don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with that lifestyle if that is what you want, but to judge other vampires for doing what comes naturally to them is almost like judging a river for running downhill."

"You're right," said Jasper with a nod. "Like you I love Carlisle and Esme and at the time I started drinking animal blood it was what I needed after surviving the southern wars. At the time I was so sick of death, destruction and feeling people's emotions as I drank from them that I needed something different. It never even occurred to me that I could drink from the criminals of society and probably not feel guilty about it like I did when I drank from an innocent, not until Bella brought it up anyway. In fact do you know what Bella told me?"

"What?" asked Emmett his main emotion curiosity.

"She told me that she always thought it was weird that a bunch of vampires were living off animal blood. She said that although she didn't judge us for it she didn't understand why we would deny ourselves our natural food source."

Emmett broke into laughter at Jasper's words and laughed so hard that the jeep swerved a couple of times. "That is so funny," said Emmett still sputtering with laughter. "It's true, but to have a human say something like that is so fucking hilarious."

"Well Bella always has had a unique way of thinking," said Jasper his lips quirking in amusement.

The two fell silent again and not another word was said until they got to the Alaskan house a couple of hours later.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"How is she doing?" asked Emmett as he stood in the doorway of the room where Bella was going through her change.

It had been more then thirty hours since Bella had started her change and just like in the jeep aside from the whimpers and occasional scream Bella was silent.

Jasper sat beside her holding her hand and hadn't moved since she had been laid on the bed. "She's doing alright. I believe that she will be done with the change sometime tomorrow instead of the normal three days."

"I thought it always took three days," said Emmett radiating worry and concern.

"It normally does but I have seen a few times where it only took two or a little over, during my years with Maria. It doesn't happen often, but it has occurred and besides since when has Bella ever been normal?" said Jasper with a twitch of his lips.

"Never," said Emmett with a quirk of his lips his worry and concern easing a little. "Do you think she'll still be clumsy once she wakes up?"

"No," Jasper answered with a half smile. "I've never seen a clumsy vampire in all my years."

"Neither have I," Emmett admitted. "I'll miss how she could trip on air though."

They were both silent as they watched Bella go through the transformation.

"What do you think happened to Carlisle, Esme and Alice?" asked Emmett finally asking the question that he knew was on both their minds although neither had voiced it until now.

"I think they are truly dead," said Jasper quietly looking sad. "Bella only escaped because she jumped out of a window and managed to crawl far enough away even with her injuries that the fire didn't burn her body to ash."

"Why didn't Alice warn them?" asked Emmett questioningly.

"Probably because she didn't see it coming just like she didn't see it when Bella was attacked. This is another reason I suspect Edward is behind the fire as only someone who knew of Alice's talent and knew how it worked would be able to get around it so effectively. If Alice had had any warning she would have told Carlisle and Esme and they would have gotten out of there."

"You're right," Emmett admitted looking sad, upset and angry all at the same time because someone he had considered a brother had betrayed the family. "Not very many people knew of Alice's talent, no one besides the family and the Denali's really."

"Have you heard from Rose," asked Jasper finally a part of him worried about his sister, well the part that wasn't worried about Bella was worried about her.

"Yes, she called and she is on the way here," said Emmett. "She did manage to get into the house and she told me to tell you that she found two piles of ashes, one in Carlisle's study and one in Alice's bathroom. She also told me to tell you that they were several pieces of heavy furniture moved against the doors preventing them from escaping. Rose said there wasn't much left of whatever furniture was blocking their escape routes just enough to tell that something was once there keeping them from escaping the room even after the doors were opened."

Jasper's lips thinned when Emmett gave him the information. "It has to be Edward, because who else would know that there are no windows in either Carlisle's study or Alice's bathroom? Only someone who had been in the house and knew the layout would be able to come up with such an effective death trap for three vampires. I mean fire is the only thing that can kill us permanently. I'm sure he meant for Bella to die as well in that fire."

Emmett shook his head looking murderous, "Has Eddie just gone insane now or has he always been like this and we just didn't notice?"

"It's no secret that I never liked him, I always thought he was a prudish, judgmental, nosy, know-it-all that didn't know how to stay out of other people's heads. I have always believed that with his stuck up attitude and being able to read peoples thoughts that he was just a bomb waiting to explode and that it was just a matter of time before he did. He was always judging everybody just for their thoughts which should be private and I believe if he hadn't had that ability that he might have been better off."

"You think all the time he spent reading other peoples thoughts drove him over the edge?"

"That's probably not all that caused it but it was probably one of the biggest reasons he was like he was."

"I swear that I am going to track that fucker down and rip him apart," said Emmett punching a fist through the plaster of the wall next to the door he was so pissed off. "It is only pure dumb luck that, you, Rose and I were out hunting and not in the house when he set it on fire and even luckier that he probably didn't think Bella was a threat if he even knew she was living with us or he probably would have knocked her unconscious or something so she wouldn't be able to escape. Even though she did escape she still nearly died just from jumping out a fourth story window."

"I would love to join and help you track that asshole down but Bella needs me and will for at least the next year and you probably shouldn't try to track down Edward by yourself. Unfortunately he knows your fighting style and you would just get yourself killed. We need somebody to track him down that he doesn't know, but who are strong enough to take him out for good."

"Who do we know that would be able to take him on?"

"The Volturi," said Jasper calmly. Emmett looked surprised at the mention of the Volturi, but didn't say anything. "Edward has broken several vampire laws just by trying to come between me and Bella since we are mates even if we aren't bonded yet. Also Carlisle was a good friend of Aro's and he spent several decades with them in Italy before Edward or his parents or grandparents were even born. Aro is bound to be furious when he learns of Carlisle's death and he will want to have Edward's head on a pike which means he will use all the resources he has at his disposal to make that happen."

Emmett shivered a little at his tone which held so much anger that he knew that if Jasper did get a chance to tear Edward apart he would do it without a second thought and without feeling a drop of remorse or regret. Jasper was first and foremost a solider who had been made for war and Edward had made a fatal error when he had not only attacked Bella but murdered Carlisle, Esme, and Alice.

"We'll worry about Edward later I don't believe it will be much longer before Bella has completed the change," said Jasper shaking his head in wonder. "Maybe another ten to twelve hours. This is the fastest change I have ever seen."

"How can you tell that she is almost through the change?" asked Emmett curiously.

"Well if you look closely you can see that the skin has already started to harden and also all the bones that were broken from her jump out the window have already repaired themselves. Her hair has lengthened just a little and has more of a reddish tinge to it then before. Even her fingernails have gotten just a little longer."

Emmett looked closely at Bella and saw that Jasper was absolutely right in all his observations.

Suddenly Emmett's phone vibrated and Emmett took it out of his pocket and read the text message that had just come in.

Will be there in ten minutes

R

"Rose, is ten minutes away," Emmett reported.

"Why don't you go meet her at the door and feel free to tell her about what we talked about in the car."

Emmett looked confused for a moment then after a second remembered their conversation in the car on the way here and nodded.

"I also want you and Rose to stay downstairs until after she wakes. Bella doesn't need to many people up here to overwhelm her at least at first."

"Okay," said Emmett looking disappointed but seeming to understand all the same.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Ten hours and forty-three minutes later Bella's heart gave a couple of final beats then went silent.

Bella didn't move and Jasper could feel her emotions which were much steadier then most newborns were right after their changes.

"Bella? Darlin'? Open your eyes for me," Jasper almost pleaded his voice almost gruff with worry after a few minutes of her not moving at all. "Let me know that you are alright."

Bella's eyes opened immediately at the sound of Jasper's worried voice. Her eyes immediately started to dart around the room taking everything in with her new eyesight and she also took in the smells present which were much stronger then they had ever been to her human nose. She smelled dust, lavender, dampness and cinnamon. When her eyes fell on Jasper her eyes widened a little as she took in how different he looked and the fact that he was even more handsome then before. Somehow Bella knew instinctually that it wasn't Jasper who had changed but her eyesight which now instead of being weak was much better, more enhanced. She could see everything with perfect clarity, like the dust in the air, and the threads of the quilt she was laying atop of and even the grain of the wood that made up the bedpost closest to her.

Jasper watched her, as she looked at him as if he was some kind of god and felt her love, awe and respect, but no fear at all which is what he had been most afraid of.

"Say something, darlin'," said Jasper. "Let me hear that beautiful voice of yours."

"I love you, Jasper," said Bella who stopped speaking when she heard the sound of her voice which now sounded almost musical.

"I love you to," said Jasper taking her hand in his rubbing his thumb gently across her knuckles in a gesture of affection. "Tell me Bella, aren't you thirsty?"

Bella's hand went to her throat after Jasper asked her the question and she said, "Now that you mention it my throat is burning something fierce. Is that what you mean?"

"Yes, that's what I mean and darlin', that's to be expected so we'll get you some blood but before we do wouldn't you like to say hello to Emmett and Rosalie? They've been worried about you and are waiting downstairs."

"Brother bear and Rose are here?"

"So you remember them then?" asked Jasper with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I remember a lot of things," said Bella sitting up fast. "Let's go see them."

Bella got to her feet so fast that she was startled and stopped standing stock still.

"It's okay darlin', you were just moving at vampire speed which is only natural. You are going to have to think about moving at human speed until it is second nature."

Bella nodded and started to move slowly forward until she was standing directly in front of Jasper. She took a deep breath taking in his scent and then gave him a passionate kiss putting her whole dead heart into it.

"You smell absolutely heavenly, you know that? I could breathe in your scent all day."

"Why thank you darlin'," said Jasper smirking, looking pleased. "I love your scent to and I will gladly breathe it in for the rest of eternity, because that is how long we have to do whatever the hell we want."

"I love you Jasper. I want you to know that the only thing that got me through the change was knowing you were there beside me the whole time and feeling the love you had for me," said Bella quietly tenderly rubbing her thumb over a crescent shaped scar that was up on his hairline and was mostly covered by his hair. Jasper leaned into the tender, loving caress and the demon within him purred at the loving touch of his mate. "I also want to tell you that I feel the pull of the mating bond now and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's as if you are the center of my universe that would collapse if you weren't there."

"Oh darlin' you have just made me so happy," said Jasper pushing a stray lock of brown hair out of her eyes lovingly. "Now I have a question for you and then we can go downstairs to see Emmett and Rose and before we get you some blood."

"Okay, what's your question?"

"Do you want to drink animal or human blood?"

Bella thought about it and remembered the conversation she and Jasper had had even though it seemed a lifetime ago. "Are you going to go back to drinking human blood?" asked Bella sounding merely curious and not at all judgmental.

"I was thinking about it, but I won't if you want to stick to animal blood then I will as well."

"What about Emmett and Rose won't they be upset if we drink from humans?"

"No because I just found out a couple of days ago from Emmett that he and Rosalie switch back and forth. They take a lot of vacations and apparently they hunted humans while they were away from the family."

Bella was silent for a minute as she absorbed this new and startling information then said decisively. "Let's try human blood, but if I feel guilty I can switch."

"Okay," said Jasper radiating happiness with her decision. "Before we go downstairs and see Emmett and Rosalie why don't you look in the mirror so you can see the changes that turning into a vampire caused."

Bella obeyed and went to look in the full length mirror that was inside the wardrobe door. She calmly noted the changes in her appearance. There was more red in her once mostly brown hair, the impurities that had been in her face had been burned away and her skin was now translucent and pale, no longer holding the kiss of the sun and her nails had lengthened just a little and looked much nicer then they had when she had been human. The biggest change though were her eyes which were a bright red. She supposed that since she was going to be drinking human blood they would stay red although they would darken over time until they were more crimson instead of the bright red of a newborn. All in all she felt that she was finally a worthy mate for Jasper because as a human she had always felt she was plain although Jasper had never found her so, she had never understood what he saw in her.

"Now none of that," Jasper told her taking her into his arms after feeling her emotions of unworthiness, patheticness inadequacy, insecurity and uncertainty seeming to understand what Bella was thinking without having to ask. "Even as a human you were a worthy mate for me. True beauty comes from within the very soul not from without."

"That sounds like a greeting card," Bella told him giggling a little and Jasper was relieved at the sound because some of her negative feelings disappeared although there was still a lot of them remaining.

"Well sometimes the greeting card companies have it right," said Jasper with a shrug. "Besides it doesn't matter what any other man ever thought of you, I always thought you were beautiful even before we found out we were mates. I have a good idea where these feelings originally stem from but they have to stop. I love you and unlike with that former brother of mine I am not going to treat you like you are some kind of pet. You are my equal in every way and were even as a human." As he was speaking Jasper sent Bella all the feelings he had for her and her feelings of unworthiness, patheticness, inadequacy, insecurity and unworthiness disappeared at least for the moment.

"That was truly beautiful," said Bella. "Thank you, for wanting me and for loving me, for putting up with my insecurity. I just don't understand why you would want me. I mean you are so handsome you could have any girl on the planet, and I am just plain, ordinary, nothing special, Bella Swan and even as a vampire I am still plain next to someone like Rosalie."

"Hey, none of that," said Jasper putting his hand on Bella's chin and raising her head so she could meet his eyes. "We already had this conversation when you were human where you described yourself in the same words and they are just not true. You cannot compare yourself to other people all the time. Each of us is an individual and I happen to think that no other girl on this planet could ever measure up to you. There is more to a person then just looks, you are kind, tenderhearted, loving, caring, intelligent, have a wicked sense of humor and have a heart as big as the whole world. It isn't very many people that can meet a bunch of vampires and actually become family to them. Most people would run away if they ever discovered what we are, but you never did. You have more capacity to love then anyone I have ever seen in all my years and you not only love, but you do it completely with no reservations. It is not many people that have that ability."

"Wow, love must really be blind," said Bella after she took a moment to absorb Jasper's words as well as the emotions he was sending out.

"No, it isn't, you just don't see yourself clearly, you never have, but I will convince you that you are worthy of my love even it takes the rest of my existence to do so." Jasper vowed. "If anything I should wonder what you see in me, but for now we had better go down and see Emmett and Rosalie and then get you some blood anything else can wait."

Bella nodded and Jasper took her hand and led her downstairs where Emmett and Rose were waiting.

Bella for her part had to concentrate at moving at a human pace and not speeding down the stairs.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Little sis," said Emmett practically bouncing on his toes like Alice, but not moving otherwise. He had already been warned by Rose not to shout and to wait for Bella to approach him. She was a newborn after all and even though she would probably be more rational then most she would still probably startle easily.

"Brother bear," Bella shouted throwing herself into his arms and hugging him tightly.

Emmett caught her and hugged her as hard as he could which he had never been able to do when she was human since if he had he would have crushed her. "I'm so glad you are okay."

"I love you, big brother," said Bella kissing his cheek several times.

"I love you to, little sis," said Emmett radiating happiness before putting her back on her feet.

"And what about me?" asked Rose trying to sound upset but Jasper could tell it was just an act even without reading her emotions.

"I love you to, Rose," Bella assured her also giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"You need to be careful with your, strength darlin'," Jasper warned her after he saw Rose wince because Bella was hugging her just a little to tightly. "For the next year or so you are going to be stronger then us."

"Why is that?" asked Bella.

"Don't you remember me telling you a few months ago that as a newborn you still have most of your blood in your system and that it makes you stronger then an older vampire? And that once you are a year old you won't be stronger then us anymore but until then you need to be careful when you hug somebody."

"Now that you reminded me, I do vaguely remember you telling me that," said Bella. "I'm sorry, Rose."

"It's okay, so are we going hunting or not?" asked Rose waving off Bella's apology. "You are bound to be thirsty."

"And are we going hunting for human blood or animal?" Emmett added.

"I decided on human," Bella said quietly. "But I also told Jasper that if I felt guilty afterwards then I could switch to animal blood."

"I'm proud of you little sis," said Emmett ruffling her hair affectionately.

"I am to," said Rose. "When Emmett told me about the conversation he had had with Jasper in the car about him going back to drinking human blood I admit I was surprised that you were the one that brought it up first and that you were so practical about it. I figured that you would be to tenderhearted to kill a human whether they were criminals or not."

"You can't judge a book by its cover, Rose," said Bella grinning. "Let's go hunting."

"Actually I thought for this first time that it might be better if Rose and Emmett brought some humans here while I stay with Bella," Jasper interrupted. "I mean this is her first time, I don't want to risk taking a hungry newborn into town and all those beating hearts not to mention all those humans smelling like a fifty course feast."

"That's not a bad idea," Rose admitted.

"Hey I am here you know," Bella protested feeling as if she was being treated like a child.

"We didn't mean to ignore you, Bella," said Jasper stroking her back tenderly. "And I didn't mean to insult you. We're just taking a few precautions is all. You are after all a newborn and we don't know how much control you are going to have, especially if you are hungry. Now if you were going to hunt animals it would be different but it would be very irresponsible of me if I let you loose on a city full of humans even if I was there."

"All right," Bella finally agreed knowing that Jasper was just looking out for her. "I guess you would know best, but could you hurry please? I am really thirsty."

"Sure thing sis," Emmett promised.

"Just make sure they are criminals, please is all I ask. I don't think I would feel guilty getting rid of criminals but I would feel bad if it was someone innocent."

"We will," Rose promised. "We had better get going Emmett since I know Bella must be practically dying of thirst right now."

"You got that right," said Bella as her throat seared something fierce and it took all her control to not go into the nearest town and drain the closest human dry.

"You might want to take both cars and bring back at least five humans as Bella is a newborn," said Jasper. "Whatever she doesn't finish we can. Oh and make sure you aren't seen. I don't want to have to leave this area in a hurry, especially with a hungry newborn in tow."

Rose and and Emmett nodded and then turned and walked out the front door.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Forty-five minutes later the sound of vehicles was heard coming up the driveway.

During that time Jasper had done his best to distract Bella from her thirst by talking to her and kissing her all over the place. It had worked and made her not think about the burning in her throat so much. During the conversation Jasper had learned some things about his mate that he had never known and he stored the information in his heart each a little treasure for the future.

"They are here," said Bella her body practically vibrating with excitement.

When the vehicles stopped in front of the house Bella was out the door as she could already hear the heartbeats of at least five different humans, which were beating slowly but steadily indicating they were unconscious.

"Well aren't you excited," said Emmett going to the back of his jeep that was more like an SUV and opening the trunk.

"No, I'm just thirsty," said Bella.

"I bet you are," said Rose coming up beside Bella patting her back sympathetically. "Your throat is bound to be searing worse then ever right now. I'm actually surprised you haven't just run into town on your own and just grabbed the first person you saw."

"Jasper distracted me," said Bella but immediately stopped talking as Emmett took the first person out of the jeep. The male was unconscious and looked to be thirty-five to forty and there was a spot of blood on the back of his head where he had been hit.

"I just bet he did," Emmett smirked his innuendo plain but Bella wasn't paying attention and grabbed the man out of Emmett's arms and immediately bit down on his neck remembering what Jasper had once told her while she was still human. He had told her that a vampire's instincts took over, so she let herself not think about what she was doing and just did it and her teeth sank into the man's neck like a hot knife through butter.

Bella immediately took a draw of the warm red liquid and immediately thought that it was the best thing she had ever tasted and her throat was begging for more so she took another draw, then another until the man's heartbeat began to slow and then finally stopped altogether.

Bella tossed the corpse aside not caring where it landed and immediately grabbed the other man from the back of Emmett's jeep and latched onto his neck as well and took a deep draw. This man was just as good as the first one had been and Bella drank from him until his heart also stopped and there was no more blood to get.

Bella decided that although her thirst had been subdued a great deal she was still thirsty and so grabbed the last unconscious person, this time a female, from the back of Emmett's jeep and started to drink her as well.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Whoever knew that some one so tiny could drink so much," said Emmett quietly in wonder who was looking out the window at where Bella was just finishing her third person.

"Why do you think I wanted you to get at least five," said Jasper as he watched his mate as she fed for the very first time. "I knew this would probably happen, especially the first few times she fed. When I was in Maria's army, in charge of creating and training newborns for her, those that were newly changed would always drink anywhere from three to five people the first time they fed."

All three watched as Bella tossed the person in the same direction the other two had gone and then as she went to Rose's open trunk and took out the person on that was on top.

"This will likely be her last one and I'll be very surprised if she actually finishes it. She's got to be feeling pretty full at this point," said Jasper.

Jasper was right they discovered just minutes later as Bella lifted her head before she could finish draining her fourth person dry.

"Jasper do you want to finish her?" asked Bella in a normal tone of voice knowing that there was no need to shout with a vampire's super sensitive hearing. "I'm feeling like if I drink anymore I'm going to explode."

"Of course darlin'," said Jasper as he was at her side in just a split second. "Thank you for offering that was very polite of you. Most newborns won't share their food."

"I'm very full so you're welcome," said Bella as she gave Jasper a kiss before heading back into the house to thank both Emmett and Rosalie.

"Wow, who knew that a little squirt like you could drink so much," Emmett teased Bella as soon as she had entered the house.

Bella shrugged, "What can I say? I was thirsty, very thirsty actually and now I'm not. The burning in my throat is gone which is a relief as it was about to drive me insane."

"So do you feel guilty for drinking from humans?" asked Rose quietly.

"They were criminals right?" asked Bella.

"Yes," Rose assured her. "One was a rapist and was about to make this woman his next victim. Another was a mugger and the woman was a prostitute. It's one of the things that took us so long to get here for if we had just grabbed five innocent people we would have been back in fifteen minutes especially at the speed we drive."

"Then no I don't feel guilty. In my book if you are willing to harm others like that then you deserve what you get," said Bella firmly.

"I'm proud of you," said Rose looking pleased at Bella's response.

"Well I might have felt differently before my father and my best friend were brutally murdered by a bunch of drugged up high school boys who thought it would be fun to not only put that poison into their system but to bring guns to what was supposed to be a graduation party. Because of them I not only lost my father and Jacob whom I had known since I was just a baby but essentially my mother as well. And yes I know my mother is still alive but the minute she didn't show up at the hospital like she said she would was the minute I realized what a selfish, self-centered bitch she was and wanted nothing further to do with her."

"So you remember that?" asked Rose.

"I remember a lot of things, Rose," said Bella. "Not everything, but I do remember when my father was killed and that Jasper and the rest of the family were there when I needed them most all except a certain person whom shall remain nameless. I never did thank you guys for being there when I needed the support so thank you."

"You're welcome," said Emmett and Rose together both looking touched and pleased that Bella remembered how they sat in the hospital with her and comforted as she cried when her father died in surgery.

Jasper came back inside just then having disposed of all five bodies and gave Bella a hug and a kiss. "I'm proud of you darlin'," said Jasper. "I was afraid that you'd feel guilty feeding off humans but I can feel that you don't."

"I was just telling Rose and Emmett that perhaps if my father and best friend hadn't died from gunshot wounds from a bunch of drunk and drugged up idiots then maybe I would. I mean Jacob was only sixteen and why he was even there I don't know, but to live only sixteen short years and then to be killed. I don't even want to imagine what it did to his father Billy who not only lost his only son but his best friend," said Bella shaking her head looking sad giving him a kiss and licking just a little blood off his chin.

End Flashback

"Did you know that Jasper and I were thinking about retiring?" Bella asked Peter and Char as all four of them sat on the front porch of Peter and Charlotte's ranch house. It was the very next day and all four watched the sunrise together just enjoying the comfortable silence

"Retiring for working for the Volturi?" asked Peter jokingly. "Is that even possible?"

"Of course it is," said Jasper with a roll of his eyes in Peter's direction. "We've had a series of ten year contracts and this current one ends in about six months. You should remember I told you that when we first started working for them they gave us a ten year contract and ever since then we've renewed at the end of each one. Is there actually a brain behind those eyes or is there nothing between your ears but air?" he added with a smirk knocking Peter upside the head.

"Hey," Peter protested swatting his brother's arm half-heartedly while the two girls laughed at their husbands antics. "I do remember you telling me about the length of the contracts thank you very much even though it was a hundred years ago, but you've been working for them for so long now," said Peter trying to appear offended but gave in and laughed along with everybody else after a moment.

"That's because we enjoy it," said Bella after they had quit laughing, "but on the other hand it would be nice to be able to travel without always getting involved in work in one way or another, you know. Every time we've tried to take a vacation work always seems to interrupt."

"That's an understatement," said Jasper with a roll of his eyes. "I remember one particular incident when Bella and me just wanted to spend a little time alone on our anniversary no less and of course the Volturi needed us to take care of this pesky drug lord who of course refused to cooperate with them and there goes all my plans for a quiet, romantic evening just the two of us right out the window."

"We did make up for it later," said Bella who would have been blushing if she could have as she remembered how Jasper had made it up to her.

"That's true enough," said Jasper with a smirk as he also remembered how they had made up for the interruption of their anniversary.

"I don't want to know," said Peter and Charlotte nodded in agreement as both could guess how they had made up the interruption and they didn't need any details.

"Don't worry, Uncle Peter, I'm not one of those girls who kisses and tells as the saying goes. I prefer our private life remain exactly that thank you very much as you should know very well."

The other three laughed at that because they knew it was true as Bella wasn't one to share intimate details of her relationship with anybody unlike say Rosalie and neither was Jasper for that matter as both were very private people when it came to their relationship.

"So are you going to actually do it?" asked Char. "Retire I mean?"

"We haven't decided although both of us have been thinking about and discussing it," said Jasper. "On one hand we have been working for them for a hundred years and it would be nice to travel somewhere and not have any interruptions. On the other hand we both love what we do, so you can see that it is a rather difficult decision for us."

"I told Jasper that if we do decide to retire I wouldn't want to retire permanently but as Jasper just said it would be nice to be able to travel without interruptions or even just spend a quiet evening at home without work bothering us," said Bella putting her head on Jasper's shoulder's with a sigh of contentment. Jasper for his part put an arm tenderly around his wife's shoulders and hugged her close to him.

"I don't think we've ever just taken a trip somewhere without work interfering, not even our honeymoon. The Volturi don't seem to understand the concept of relaxing without any outside interferes," said Jasper.

"That's an understatement," Bella snorted.

"Well when you think about it they were born over two thousand years ago and they didn't have anything like time off back then. Things were very primitive and humans worked from dawn to dusk just to make ends meet," Charlotte point out. "Hell that was before America was even discovered."

"That's true enough," said Bella after thinking about it for a few seconds. "Let's see America was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and that was just 612 years ago give or take a year or two and the Volturi have been around over 1500 hundred years more than that."

"That's true enough," Jasper admitted.

"Didn't you tell me once that most vampires have trouble changing with the times?" Bella asked Jasper.

"Yes and I see your point," said Jasper immediately. "Aro, Caius and Marcus were born so long ago that even though the world is constantly changing those changes just kind of pass them by."

"But all of us haven't had trouble changing with the times," Peter pointed out. "I mean we might not know about every little change but we still try to keep up with the times and the constant changes they bring."

"Bella's theory on that is it might have a lot to do with the century you were born in," said Jasper. "All of us, except for me were born sometime in the twentieth century and although things were a little bit more primitive there was still quite a bit of technology invented then there was back when the Volturi were born or even Carlisle. There might not have been as many technologic advances but there were telephones, TVs, radios, cars and many more things besides which is why Bella thinks that we don't have as much trouble changing with the times."

"What about you? You were born in the 1900's and they didn't have any of that stuff back then," said Peter.

"But a lot of it was in the process of being invented or was already around just in a more primitive form. There were steam powered cars even though they never caught on and gas powered ones were invented about thirty years after I was born. There were also radio and telephones although back then the technology was much more primitive then it is today."

"That's true enough, so that might be why you never had any trouble adapting," said Char.

"Actually my theory is that adapting to different situations or in this case centuries is just part of who I am. From what I can remember of my time in the army I never had any trouble adapting to different scenarios that a war can throw at you and might be why I am such a good strategist."

"That makes sense," said Charlotte with a nod. "After all somebody as good at strategy as you are must be able to adapt quickly to whatever a situation calls for and isn't that what strategy is all about being quick to come up with a solution for whatever the problem is?"

"True enough," said Peter after thinking about if for a few minutes never having thought of strategy in quite those terms before.

The four of them after that just sat out on the porch just enjoying each other's company not needing to say anything at all, not even Peter who wasn't usually one for remaining still any quiet for any length of time.

Flashback

"Bella there are a few things we need to talk about before we go downstairs," said Jasper as they got dressed after a sharing a shower. Bella had just had her first feed from the humans that Emmett and Rosalie had brought from the seedier part of town and they had of course gotten rid of the evidence.

"Such as?" asked Bella curiously as she put on a pair of Jasper's sweat pants and one of his long sleeved shirts. She didn't have any of her own clothes at the moment although she was hoping she could go shopping sometime soon and get a few things even if she had to do it online.

"Well Emmett and I believe that the fire that almost destroyed the house was set to deliberately murder not only Carlisle, Esme and Alice, but maybe you as well although we aren't sure in your case."

"Who set the fire?" asked Bella her voice calm but her emotions were all over the place, going from anger, to fear, to sadness and back again. "No let me guess it was Edward wasn't it?" she said before Jasper could respond.

"How did you figure that out so fast?" Jasper asked pleased and proud of his Bella for figuring it out so quickly. Bella was everything he could ever want in a mate, intelligent, beautiful, kind, fierce, brave and had a heart as big as the whole world except for people who ticked her off like Eddie.

"Well, I remember quite a bit from when I was still human and one of the things I remember was that Edward attacked me after I had broken up with him and I figure if he can attack me just because of that then he is capable of much more. So what happened to Carlisle, Esme and Alice?"

"I'm afraid that they truly dead and you only escaped by jumping out a window. We're not really sure if Edward even knew that you were living with us or not."

Bella was quiet for a few minutes then asked in a whisper, "How did they die?"

"Well I don't know the details yet because I haven't had a chance to talk to Rose, but she stayed behind to try to find out what had happened and all I know so far is that Carlisle and Esme were trapped in Carlisle's study and there were the remains of a heavy piece of furniture up against the door so that they couldn't escape or at least not until it was to late. As for Alice her remains were found in her bathroom and the same thing had been done so that she couldn't get out."

Bella was quiet and stared out the window appearing to be deep in thought but Jasper who was keeping an mental eye on her emotions knew that she was grieving.

"What do you remember from before you were changed?" asked Jasper after a few minutes of silence.

"I remember vaguely of talking to Esme and her asking me if I wanted lunch. I headed upstairs, I believe to take a shower and I think I had just sat down on the bed to brush my hair afterwards I heard a crackling sound and smelled smoke. After that my memories are a little clearer and I yelled for all three people in the house but the only one who answered was Alice and all she had time to say was that it was a setup and that if I wanted to live I had to jump out the window. What happened to my father's flag?" Bella asked changing the subject abruptly.

"I have it," said Jasper. "We'll have to get another display case for it as the one it was in shattered when it hit the ground but the actual flag came out with no damage other then a little dirt."

"Oh good, thank you," said Bella in relief.

"Do you know you are damn lucky that you didn't fall on a piece of glass and bleed to death before we got there?" demanded Jasper in a growl finally releasing his emotions that he had kept pent up over the last few days while Bella went through the transformation.

"I can understand why you are upset Jasper," said Bella quietly not getting upset. "You have every right to be, but I know you also understand why I did what I did."

"I do understand," said Jasper calming down since Bella was standing right next to him and she was fine, "It is the only thing you have left of your father's that truly has any meaning."

Bella nodded somberly but didn't respond verbally.

"Well I suppose we had better get downstairs and see what Rose has to tell us," said Jasper after giving her a heartfelt kiss.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"So tell us what you found out?" Jasper asked Rose as all four of them sat in the living room Bella on Jasper's lap.

"Well," Rose began. "I had to wait until the fire department had arrived and then left but after they did I managed to get inside as the basic house was still standing. I was being very careful as I knew that the floor would probably be unstable but after a few minutes of searching around the ground floor I arrived at the door to Carlisle's study as it was the only room on that floor I hadn't checked. When I got there as I said earlier I saw the remnants of what had used to be a piece of furniture. All that was really left were pieces that by some miracle hadn't gotten destroyed and when I went into the room I saw what was a pile of ashes and the remains of a door."

"A door?" Bella questioned in confusion.

"Yes, it was burnt in places but I recognized it as the door that once had led to Carlisle's study. I'm assuming that he wretched it off in the hopes the he and Esme could escape. Probably though what happened is that once he got the door off he saw this massive piece of furniture standing in his way and although normally it would be no problem for someone with vampire strength to move something like that he probably didn't have time before the flames started to consume the piece of furniture and then come into the room. The pile of ashes I discovered was bigger then could be accounted for by just one vampire so it had to be both of them together.

"They probably realized they were going to die, that there was no way to escape and went out holding each other," Bella suggested looking upset, angry and sad all at the same time.

"What about Alice?" asked Jasper quietly trying to keep up his poker face but his eyes gave him away and there was a deep pain there. Even if he and Alice hadn't been more then friends at the end he still loved her like a sister and he would miss her.

"Well I managed to get onto the second floor using the back staircase as the main one was half gone and when I finally did manage to get to what had used to be Alice's room I discovered the same thing I discovered in Carlisle's study. In that case I believe that Alice's massive wardrobe was pushed in front of the bathroom door as it was missing from where it usually was. There was no way that Alice could have moved it by herself as tiny as she was."

Bella dry sobbed leaning her head into Jasper's chest as she grieved for the loss of her friend and sister as well as her parents figures.

Jasper for his part just held her but met eyes with Rose and Emmett. He was not surprised to see the same feelings of anger, sadness and betrayal in their newly red eyes that were in his.

"Shh, It'll be okay darlin'," Jasper soothed. Finally Bella's sobs quieted and she sat looking and feeling better.

"We'll all miss them, Bella," said Rosalie with an unusual display of sympathy, "Emmett, Jasper and I knew them for a long time and I'm only sorry that you only knew them for a year before you lost them."

"It's okay Rose, it is hardly your fault," Bella assured her. "I don't blame you or Emmett or Jasper. No I lay this squarely at the feet of Edward Anthony Masen whose the one at fault and when I catch up with him he's going to wish that he was never born, much less turned into a vampire."

"And don't you dare tell me that I can't be involved," she added as she saw Jasper's expression. "I will not sit here like some kind of helpless damsel in distress waiting to be rescued. That is what Eddie treated me as and I let him, but no more."

"You tell him little sis," Emmett cheered.

"You go girl," said Rose looking proud.

"I am not helpless and even though I know my emotions are kind of erratic right now I will still feel the same even once they've settled down."

"I wasn't thinking about keeping you out of things, well not seriously anyway," Jasper protested. "I'm not Edward and I know you can take care of yourself in most situations, but before we even think about trying to track him down you need to be trained to fight and to also get used to being a vampire. You are after all not even a day old and despite how well you are doing you need time to process the changes you have gone through."

"He's right," said Rose, "you really are doing exceptionally well and we are all very proud of of you, but when you go from being human to being a vampire there are a lot of changes that your body and mind go through."

"Like what?" asked Bella curiously.

"Well for one thing your brain goes from using just five to ten percent to using a hundred percent," Jasper answered. "With that much of an increase in your brain capacity it takes times to adjust to suddenly being able to think multiple things at once and even though you might not remember we discussed these things already when you were human as I wanted to prepare you for the changes you were going to go through."

Bella thought about it and she did seem to vaguely remember a conversation she and Jasper had had about the subject.

"You are also much stronger now as I'm sure you have noticed," added Rose after a moment, "especially right now."

"Also your sight, hearing, and sense of smell have also become much more acute. I'm sure you have noticed that you can see perfectly clearly and that you can hear sounds much clearer and from much further away then you could as a human," said Jasper.

"All right I suppose I shouldn't jump to conclusions," Bella admitted. "I might not remember everything about my human life but I do remember that when Edward I were dating that he treated me like some kind of giant porcelain doll that was just there for him to push around under the guise of protecting me and I refuse to be treated like that anymore."

"Good for you," said Rose looking proud. "You should stand up for yourself and don't let anybody make your decisions for you."

"We won't treat you like you don't get an opinion," Jasper promised. "We'll all listen to what you say when you give an opinion and we'll make sure to include you in whatever decisions we make that involve all four of us."

"Okay, thanks," said Bella calming down considerably.

"You're welcome," said Jasper kissing her on the top of her head.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

It was three days later and it had been decided that Jasper and Bella would hunt together while Emmett and Rose also hunted together and that they would take separate cars. It had been thought to be a bad idea for anybody but Jasper to help Bella hunt especially since this was the first time she would actually hunt for her meal. Her first meal had been brought to her as a precaution so she didn't drink half the town. Since Jasper and Bella were bonded and because he was her creator it was thought it was safe enough for them to hunt together.

Jasper and Bella ran into the seedier section of town leaving Emmett's jeep in a better part and Jasper explained on the way that nobody was likely to come looking if a drug dealer or rapist disappeared nor were they likely to be on the headline news unlike if someone innocent disappeared.

Bella listened to Jasper as he explained things to her as she ran but she was also thinking at the same time that running was going to fast become one of her favorite things to do because not only could she run so fast that she was just a blur but also without getting tired or out of breath. Also she hadn't fallen or tripped once.

She wouldn't miss being clumsy one bit, Bella thought with a mental snicker.

"Here we are darlin'," said Jasper. "Now do you want some help locating a target or do you want to do it on your own?"

"Why don't you help me this time? I don't want to drain an innocent person by mistake."

"I doubt there are very many innocent people in this section of town, but as you wish," said Jasper.

Jasper looked around trying to appear casual as he observed from the alleyway where they were standing. "There," said Jasper quietly pointing to a couple of men and one woman who were standing in front of a darkened window on the fourth floor in what looked like a very rundown building that might have once been an apartment house at one point in time. One of the men was carrying what looked like a child over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Well, Gerald, did you send the ransom demand?" demanded the woman.

"Yes Mrs. Hanson, we gave the senator just twenty-four house to meet our demands and if he doesn't we kill his son," the male voice snickered nastily.

"Of course Senator Littlefield doesn't know that we intend to kill the boy anyway so he can't later identify us," the woman's voice answered sounding low and smooth like honey, but that also hid a rotten core.

Bella clearly heard the words with her new and improved vampire hearing despite the fact that the three were on the fourth floor. "I've heard enough, Jasper," Bella growled so quietly that only another vampire could possibly have heard her. "Those men and that woman are scum. To kidnap a child from his family just so they can get rich would make me sick quite literally if I was still human. Besides my throat is searing worse then ever and if I don't get something to drink soon it is going to drive me insane, either that or attack someone I don't want to."

"I agree, that they need to be taken care of," said Jasper his voice deadly quiet the predator beginning to show out of his eyes and he started across the street Bella following.

It didn't take them more then a few seconds to get up the stairs using vampire speed once they were actually in the building and out of sight of any possible observers.

As soon as they reached the door Jasper sent out fear, terror, horror, confusion, anxiety and bewilderment to the three kidnappers behind the door. They heard movement, a thump, several whimpers and then silence.

"After you," said Jasper as always the gentlemen.

Bella responded by tearing the door off its hinges not caring about being quiet now as her throat was searing worse then ever.

"Drink all three if you need to," said Jasper putting the little boy to sleep by sending him drowsiness so he wouldn't see or hear what was going on. "You are a newborn after all and newborns need more blood then older vampires."

Bella didn't need to be told twice and stalked toward the three kidnappers looking graceful and lethal as she approached. "Kidnapping a child, just so you can get rich? People like you make me sick," said Bella as she grabbed the first man while Jasper kept the other two immobilized with the emotions he was sending them.

Bella heard the man's heartbeat as well as the other two and her throat began to become a constant burning feeling like it was on fire. She had just fed three days ago and had drank almost four humans but that didn't seem to matter to her throat and so without feeling any guilt Bella bit down on that first man and drank him dry within minutes. When she was done she tossed him aside and heard him hit the ground somewhere but she didn't care as she had already grabbed the second man and was drinking from him. Once the man's heart stopped Bella tossed him aside as well and then looked at the woman trying to decide if she was still hungry or not. The woman had watched all that was happening in horror but couldn't get more then a couple of whimpers out as Jasper was still sending her his fear cocktail

"Are you still hungry, darlin'?" asked Jasper.

Bella spun around at the sound of Jasper's voice and growled then stopped when she realized who it was. "Oh I am so sorry, Jasper. I don't know what came over me," said Bella looking embarrassed even though she couldn't blush anymore which she was extremely happy about.

"It's okay, Bella," Jasper assured her giving her a kiss licking the blood off her lips. "It is part of a vampire's instincts to protect their meal and since you are only a newborn and only days old it is actually quite astonishing that you just growled at me and didn't actually attack me."

Bella felt better at Jasper's words and kissed him back.

"So are you still hungry?"

"A little," said Bella. "My throat isn't searing as bad as it was a few minutes ago but it still feels kind of scratchy and I don't feel completely full. It doesn't seem to matter that I just fed three days ago and that I drank almost four humans."

"You are still a newborn Bella," Jasper reminded his mate, "And as I've explained before you are going to need to feed more often for at least the next six months if not for the next year so go ahead and drink her and I'll find me a meal after you finish with her and we get rid of the evidence. If you get full and can't finish her I'll finish her for you."

Bella nodded and approached the woman with lethal grace. "Please, don't kill me," the woman begged looking terrified. "Mercy!"

"You ask for mercy after kidnapping a child just so you can get rich? And then you were going to kill him afterwards weren't you? Don't bother to answer that because my mate and I heard you and the men say that you were going to kill him even after the ransom was paid."

Bella grabbed the front of the woman's blouse and lifted her up with one arm with no trouble at all as she felt as if she didn't weigh more then a feather and then slammed her head against the wall hard enough to almost knock her unconscious but not quite.

"You were the mastermind behind the kidnapping, admit it," Bella demanded savagely. "Those two men I drained didn't have the brains to pull off something like this on their own and get away with it."

When the woman didn't answer, Bella took one of her fingernails and drew it down the woman's cheek immediately drawing blood. The woman whimpered again, but still didn't answer so Bella calmly tore the woman's blouse and used her fingernail to open up a dozen cuts on the woman's chest which bled freely. Bella smelled the blood which smelled delicious and then licked the liquid from each wound licking her lips as she got just a small taste of the woman's blood. "Answer me," Bella growled again.

The woman was crying because she was in severe pain as each cut by Bella's fingernail was like a knife wound. "Yes, yes I planned it," the woman finally whimpered. "It seemed like an easy way to get lots of cash fast so I could disappear."

"Well this is your lucky day or maybe that's unlucky? In any case you aren't going to live long enough to disappear as you put it." With those last words Bella latched onto the woman's neck and drank from her until she was completely empty.

When the woman was finally dead Bella released the woman's shirt and the corpse slumped to the floor.

Bella turned around to face Jasper not feeling at all ashamed of what she had done as they had deserved what they had gotten.

"Have I ever told you how proud I am of you darlin'?" asked Jasper his pride and love washing over her.

"How can you be I practically tortured that woman," said Bella still not feeling ashamed even though she knew she should be.

"Bella we are predators by nature and that woman was hardly innocent," said Jasper putting his arms around her waist and holding her close to him. "She did kidnap a child and was going to kill him after she got what she wanted, in my book that means she deserved what she got. So what if you let your demon out to play a little you still reined her back in after you were done and that is not an easy thing to do even for someone as old as I am. And Bella I am also proud of you for the fact that you are controlled enough to not go after the child to kill him and you are only days old. Most newborns wouldn't care who they killed so long as they got blood."

"I don't think I could drink anymore right now," said Bella happy that Jasper was proud of her. If he had just said the words she might not have believed him but since his pride and love were washing over her she realized that he was truly proud of her and that he wasn't just saying the words to make her feel better. "I feel very full. I think I drank to much."

"That is to be expected at least until you are a little older and need less blood."

"So what are we going to do about the boy?"

"Well I figured we could leave him in the park which isn't far from here and he'll be found within hours as the park is patrolled. I've kept him in a deep sleep so we wouldn't have to kill him to. He won't remember anything except that he was grabbed from somewhere and he won't know who his kidnappers were or what happened to them.

"Did anybody ever tell you that your empathic ability comes in damn handy?" asked Bella giving him a long heartfelt and passionate kiss. "And also that I love you and find you damn sexy?" she added teasingly.

"Well Miss Swan as soon as we have taken care of the boy and I have hunted up my own dinner we shall head home and I shall make wild passionate love to you for days on end."

"And will you mark me and let me mark you?" asked Bella cocking her head to the side. Jasper of course had told her about how vampires marked their mates and about the bond between them and she did remember a lot of that particular conversation that they had had on the subject while she had been human.

"Are you sure you're ready for that?" Jasper questioned his surprise and pleasure obvious. The thought of marking her and making her his for all time made his cock stand up instantly. "Don't misunderstand me because I've been wanting to mark you ever since I found out we were mates and I told you as much when you were still human. I couldn't though not while you were still human as I would have started the process to turn you into one of my kind and you hadn't even finished high school at that point. I figured I would be waiting for months even after you were changed before I had a chance to mark you since I wasn't sure if you were going to be an uncontrollable newborn or not."

"Yes Jasper I am sure," Bella answered sending him all of her love, desire and lust and watched as his eyes lit up and how he smiled so brilliantly that he could have literally lit up an entire city with his smile alone. "I love you and I've actually been ready to be completely yours for a while now, but I had already figured out before you said anything that it would have to wait until I was changed, but now that I am like you and therefore unbreakable I am more then ready to be yours for all eternity."

"You have no idea what your words mean to me," said Jasper his voice thick with emotion caressing Bella's cheek tenderly his eyes full of love. "If I didn't need to hunt I would take you home right now and we wouldn't leave the bed for at least a month except to feed."

"Well then you had better hunt so you can do that, cowboy," said Bella as she tugged Jasper's hair so he would lean his head down so she could get a kiss. "Because I want you in the worst possible way."

Jasper growled as he smelled his mate's arousal and felt her desire. He gave her a another hard kiss before pulling away. "Let's get rid of the bodies and then take the boy to the park so I can hunt and then my mate we will go home and not leave our room until you need to feed again."

"I can't wait," Bella assured him sending Jasper her lust and love.

"We had better get going before I take you right here," Jasper growled his eyes black with passion and lust.

"Let's go," said Bella her eyes also black as Jasper had sent her his love, lust, devotion and adoration.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"How did your first hunt go?" asked Emmett standing by the door looking eager to hear all about it when Jasper and Bella entered the house with newly crimson eyes.

"It went just fine," said Bella curling up in Jasper's lap when he sat in one of the comfortable chairs in the living room. "We found these two men and a woman that had just kidnapped this little boy for ransom."

There were twin growls from Emmett and Rose at that but then they quieted and listened to the rest of the story. "We heard them say that they were going to kill him even after his father, who is a senator by the way, paid the ransom."

"Bella took care of them all right and I was so proud of her," said Jasper beaming radiating pride and love. "They were hiding out in what was probably at one time an apartment house and Bella tore the door off the apartment they were in on the fourth floor. She showed the two men no mercy whatsoever but what she did to them is nothing like she did to the woman."

"What did you do?" asked Rose looking intrigued.

"Well, let's just say kidnappers are one of my pet peeves, I'll explain why at a later time, but anyway that boy, who couldn't have been more then six had done nothing to them and yet they were going to kill him and that made me furious. I was so thirsty at that point that my throat was searing something fierce so Jasper sent the three kidnappers some combination of emotions that had them frozen and I just let my instincts take over and I drained that first man in minutes. After that I was still thirsty so I drained the second man as well. At that point I was still a little thirsty but my instincts were also telling me that it was the woman that had planned the kidnapping, that she was the one that was the leader of the scheme and that the two men were just her underlings. I was determined to get the truth out of her and so I slammed her against the wall not hard enough to knock her unconscious but enough to get her attention. I demanded that she tell me if she was the one behind the kidnapping scheme and when she still didn't confess I used my fingernail to draw blood from her cheek.

Rose and Emmett listened in fascination and admiration as Bella continued, "At that point she still refused to talk so I ripped off her designer blouse and started to use my fingernail like a dagger. I made over a dozen slashes on her chest before she confessed that she was the mastermind behind the scheme and that she was going to use the money to disappear. I then told her that today was her lucky day and I drained her dry as well."

Rose and Emmett, listened to the story a were looking at Bella in a whole different light.

The pride radiating off of them was also visible in their newly crimson eyes.

"I am so proud of you," said Rose rising from where she was sitting on Emmett's lap and walked over to give Bella a hug. "Tell me you aren't ashamed of what you did," Rose then demanded.

"No," Bella assured her sister. "I don't feel any guilt because people like that deserve what they get and I'm actually proud of the fact that I took three dangerous kidnappers off the streets."

"I also very proud of you to, sis," said Emmett also hugging Bella tightly.

"So what happened to the boy?" asked Rose worriedly.

"Don't worry Rose. We would never kill a child," Jasper assured her. "I simply made sure that the boy slept deeply so he wouldn't know what was going on and we left him on a bench in a park not far from a police station. I knew that park was patrolled so he should be found within hours and back with his father soon after that."

"But how did Bella prevent herself from draining him dry?" asked Emmett in surprised wonder.

"I think it helped that I was very full at that point and also Jasper believes that because I accepted this life before I was actually changed that I won't have as much bloodlust as a normal newborn," said Bella. "He says I seem to have better control of my instincts then any newborn he has ever seen."

"Well all the other newborns I created doing the southern wars were changed against their will and had no idea what was happening to them which is why I think they were so wild and out of control," said Jasper. "And in fact Peter, Charlotte and I are the only three to survive for any length of time and definitely the only three to escape."

"Yes, that makes sense," said Rose. "I was changed against my will to, but at least I was already dying at the time. However, to take a perfectly healthy human and then change them is just wrong, well unless you're like Bella who knew about vampires and wanted to become one then I suppose it would be okay."

"Wow Rose since when did you change your mind about that?" asked Emmett his astonishment plain for it was no secret that Rose hated being a vampire and that she had always wanted a family. Vampires though couldn't have children so that subject had always been a sore spot for her.

"Oh for awhile," said Rose. "I suppose I've just come to accept the fact that life is what it is and that maybe I was meant to be here and now with all of you and that as much as I wanted them perhaps I was never meant to have children."

"Wow, Rose," said Emmett his pride in her shining through his eyes and radiating off him, "That is really profound and I'm proud of you."

"I'm proud of you Rosalie," said Jasper. "I know that wasn't an easy thing for you to admit."

"So what are we going to do about fuckwad?" asked Bella. The other three vampires in the room smirked at Bella's name for Edward as all of them thought it was a very appropriate

"Well, I was thinking that we should contact the Volturi and let them help finding him."

"Aren't the Volturi, well dangerous?" asked Bella hesitantly.

"What do you know about them?" asked Jasper.

"Well I only know what Carlisle told me and that is not much. He just said that they were the rulers of the vampire world and that they were very harsh masters and unforgiving of mistakes."

"Well it is true that they are the rulers of the vampire world, but the rest of what Carlisle told you was colored by the fact that they drink human blood."

"So why don't you tell me what you know about them," said Bella, curling up against Jasper's side.

"Well, I met just Aro years ago, it was long before I met Alice in that diner and before I knew there was another way of feeding. Aro is the leader and then there is Caius and Marcus. Aro has a talent that is similar to Edward's except it is much more comprehensive for all he has to do is touch someone to read every memory in their head. Caius on the other hand doesn't have any gifts at least as far as I know."

"And Marcus?" asked Bella when Jasper didn't continue.

"Marcus can see bonds between people, like for example he would be able to see our mating bond and whether on not we were bonded mates or if we hadn't yet taken that step. He would also see things like family bonds. As for their personalities Aro likes things all expensive and grand—"

"Like Alice," said Bella with a snort remembering some of the times her friend had practically forced her into outfits that she normally wouldn't have worn and if that wasn't bad enough said outfits had probably been at least a hundred dollars apiece.

"But he is a fair judge and he does uphold what few laws we have. Aro is the most outgoing of the three and he and Carlisle were good friends despite their different diets. When Aro learns of his friend's demise along with his mate and one of his daughter's he is going to be furious and want to punish whoever is responsible."

"Will we get the blame for their deaths?" asked Bella just a little worriedly.

"No, because as soon as Aro has read our memories he will know that we are not to blame and he is not going to punish us for something that isn't our fault. He is tough but fair. From what I have heard as I've never met him Caius is the hard ass of the three brothers so if you do meet him you must never, show fear and only speak when spoken to and you must never address him by his name unless he has given you permission, that goes for all three of them actually. Marcus is the one that is the most quiet and usually only speaks when he has something important to say. It is rumored that he lost his mate a long time ago and that the only thing that kept him from following her into death was the bond he had with his two brothers and the responsibility that he had to the vampire world. That is only a rumor though not fact."

"What are our laws?" asked Bella,

"Well you know one of them," said Jasper with a smirk.

"Oh yes, you must never tell a human about our world although technically in my case I wasn't told I figured it out on my own."

"But only because fuckwad rescued you from that van," Rose pointed out.

"That is one thing I will forever be grateful to Edward for," said Jasper looking pained at admitting that. "As much as I hate being in grateful to that asshole. Despite what he did back then it still isn't going to save him once I get my hands on him."

"Only if I don't get there first," said Bella looking murderous and determined. "I have a couple of scores to settle with old Eddie."

"And don't forget Rose and me when you finally do catch him," said Emmett. "We owe him a thing or two as well."

Rose nodded in agreement.

"Anyway our other laws are very simple. One: it is illegal to create vampire children as they cannot be controlled and it carries a sentence of instant death if you break it and it is discovered. Two: it is illegal to interfere between mates whether one of those is human or not. The thing about this particular law is it doesn't necessarily mean death unless the party who was wronged requests it. And finally three: It is illegal to create a newborn army and not only does it mean death for whoever did create it but death for the newborns as well. That law mainly came about because of Maria and the southern wars."

"So you think we should contact the Volturi?" asked Rose looking apprehensive not that Jasper could blame her.

"Well they do have resources we do not and they will be able to track Edward down a lot easier then we will but in order to get them involved we will need to go to Volterra and get an audience with them. Since they know me that will be a little easier then normal."

"What is likely to happen if we do this?" asked Rose.

"Well Aro will definitely want to touch your hands so he can read your minds but when he does he will see the truth of what we have told him. After that I'm still not sure what will happen although I will probably be offered a place in the guard as every five years or so I get a call asking if I was tired of life with the Cullens yet and that I would always be welcomed. I've managed to turn them down so far. Now that I'm back on the human diet I wouldn't mind doing some freelance work for them occasionally."

"If you do decide to do that don't expect to do it without me," said Bella. "Where you go, I go."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Jasper assured her. "Besides from what I have learned from Peter and Char is that bonded couples can't be to far apart as it is very painful for the couple in question. Char never goes anywhere alone except to do a day's worth of errands in the town nearest to them which is like six hours away by car and you might not remember but I told you all this while you were human."

"Now that, you mention I do very vaguely remember you telling me that," said Bella cocking her head looking thoughtful trying to remember that conversation.

"That's true enough bonded mates can't be more then a couple of hundred miles apart," Rose admitted. "Emmett and I are bonded and I don't like being away from him any longer then going to the mall for a few hours and the occasional hunting trip with just the girls."

"But now that we are back on the human diet we won't have to be apart for those hunting trips, babe," said Emmett giving her a hug and a kiss while Rose for her part just snuggled into his lap.

"So when are we going to Volterra?" asked Bella trying not to look or feel nervous.

"Well let's give it a few months until we are sure you have control of yourself," said Jasper. "I want revenge on that former brother of mine as much as the next man, but you come first and even though you are not acting like your typical newborn we have to remember that you are not more then a few days old at this point."

"And I agree," said Emmett speaking up. "I remember my newborn year and what a disaster that was but of course unlike you little sis I had no idea what was happening to me."

"Well if that is all we have to talk about then Bella and I have things to do upstairs and I have been waiting to long as it is."

"What could you possibly have to do?" asked Emmett in confusion and then after a few seconds his face cleared, "Oh."

"No comments out of you Emmett McCarty," Rose told him threateningly. "You remember what it was like when we first discovered that we were mates and no one teased you."

Emmett looked as if he had just lost his favorite puppy dog but he nodded anyway knowing that if he didn't do what Rose said it would be no sex for up to a month.

"Thanks Rose," said Bella looking and feeling a little embarrassed but also pleased that she wouldn't be teased about her sex life.

"You're welcome, now get out of here," ordered Rose but with a smile.

"Thanks sis," said Jasper and without preamble picked Bella up and sped up the stairs at vampire speed getting to their bedroom in just a second.

End Flashback

"So what will it take to get you to sing again?" Peter begged his niece a few days later as they were sitting down to watch a movie together all except for Jasper who had had to go into town for a few hours. Jasper of course had asked if Bella wanted to come along but she had decided to spend some time with her Uncle Peter and Char since she didn't see them all that often.

"Why is everyone interested to hear me sing?" asked Bella irritably having lost her sense of humor about the whole thing as Peter had been begging her to sing again ever since she had when she and Jasper had first arrived.

"Because you have a beautiful voice and we all want to hear it again," said Char.

"Well in that case, how about..." Bella seemed to consider for a few seconds then said, "never."

"Oh come on Bella," said Peter giving her the puppy dog eyes.

"Oh stop that, Uncle Peter," said Bella swatting his arm irritably. "You're puppy dog eyes don't have anything on Jasper's and he has used them on me a lot over the years to get me to do things I never would have done if it wasn't for them."

"But you had fun doing those things didn't you even if Jasper did use the puppy dog eyes on you?" asked Char shrewdly.

"Well yes," Bella admitted, somewhat reluctantly.

"There, you see, all Jasper did was make you try new things that you never would have tried without his encouragement," said Charlotte.

"I suppose so," agreed Bella knowing she was losing the argument and she hated to lose even though she knew she was in the wrong in this case.

"No maybe about it and you know it but you are just to stubborn to admit it," said Char.

"Why do people keep annoying me about things I don't want to do?" asked Bella almost angrily.

"Because they love you and are trying to get you to see that you need to get out of your comfort zone and try things you never tried as a human either because you didn't have a chance or because you weren't willing to risk being ridiculed if you were bad at it," said Char. "Perhaps if you had had a chance to mature a little and go to college for even a year, get some experience in the real world before you were changed things might have been different but thanks to Edward that never happened."

Bella thought about what Char had said and after a few minutes of turning everything over in her mind she knew Charlotte was right. She had been kind of stubborn about trying certain things, she guessed, like singing in front of everyone but Jasper and really anything that would put her as the center of attention. It had taken her over fifty years before she was comfortable singing even in front of her mate whom she knew loved her beyond the heavens and would never laugh at her but only encourage her. Inside she supposed she was still that scared little girl that had been picked on during most of her school years.

"Alright, fine," Bella snapped finally giving in, but being anything but gracious about it.

Charlotte looked hurt and Bella felt guilty as she knew that Char was only looking out for her and trying to get her to try new things at least once and to also get her out of her comfort zone.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, but really wish people would quit trying to get me to do things I don't want to do even though I realize that it's only because you love me and you're just trying to get me to expand my horizons a little," said Bella giving Char a hug and a kiss on the cheek by way of apology.

"You're forgiven, sugar," said Char. "So does that mean you are going to sing for us again?"

"I suppose if I must," said Bella with a sigh. "Although as you well know I hate being the center of attention. I think inside I am still that little girl that was picked on all the way though her school years, which is probably why I hate drawing attention to myself."

"Probably, but you can't let that those kids said to you affect you for the rest of your existence. I know that children can be cruel, but that happened over a hundred years ago and those particular children are long dead while you are still young and alive."

"There is that," said Bella looking happier as she had never thought about the fact that those children were long buried and would be turning over in their graves if they could see how happy she was now with the man she adored and she included her own mother in that statement because even if she hadn't meant to be she had been more of a child even when she was supposed to be the adult in the situation.

"Did Char convince you to sing for us again?" asked Peter eagerly coming back inside. Bella hadn't even realized until just this moment that he had left at all which just showed how caught up in her own childish feelings and insecurities she had been. You would think after living for over a hundred years that she would have gotten past this stage of where she hated being the center of attention. On the other hand she knew that that particular trait was so ingrained in her personality that she would probably always hate anything that brought her to the attention of crowds and that included her own family.

"Yes, your wife can be very convincing," said Bella with a shrug trying to appear nonchalant and calm although really she was incredibly nervous about singing in front of everyone again. It had taken every ounce of courage she possessed for her to do it the first time and it would more then likely require the same thing again even though as Jasper had promised she had gotten her standing ovation without any encouragement from his talent as she knew deep down he would never do anything so dishonest as to use his talent to make them react to her singing like that and that the standing ovation had to be an honest reaction.

"Great!" Peter exclaimed happily giving Bella a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so proud of you."

Bella felt a warm glow inside her when her uncle said he was proud of her her and she was happy even though she would also have been blushing if she had been able to.

"Thanks," said Bella trying her best to sound normal and not appear embarrassed.

"You're welcome," said Peter seeming to sense that the subject needed to be changed but then Peter had always been a smart fucker. "Now how about that movie we were going to watch?"

"Sure!" said Bella perfectly happy to forget about singing or anything else embarrassing for a few hours.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"How'd you do it?" Jasper asked Char when he had returned from his errand in town. "How'd you get her to agree to sing again? I've been trying for the last few days and she kept turning me down no matter what I said on the subject or told her how much you both really enjoyed her singing."

"That is between me and her, but if she wants to tell you what we talked about she can," Char told him.

"Thanks for convincing her to sing again," said Jasper giving Char a hug. "She doesn't sing half as much as I would like even with just me and in fact I didn't even know she could sing until we'd been married for over half a century. I suspected she could since her voice is almost like music when she talks, but I don't know for sure."

"You know it all goes back to her insecurities and being the center of attention," said Char.

"I know," said Jasper with a sigh. "I wish that I had been able to wait to change her at least a couple of years. If I had turned her like at twenty, the same age I was turned and she took a year or two of college maybe some of her insecurities would have faded once she got out into the real world and she would have been more confident in herself. I know that didn't happen and that I had no choice but to change her when I did or she would have died, but with the life we live on the outskirts of society it just isn't possible for her to go to college and interact with other students."

"Why can't she go to college?" asked Char. "I mean she doesn't have to live on campus and why can't she take just one or two classes a day? Didn't you tell Peter and me that she does very well around humans, like when she goes shopping?"

"What about the red eyes and the way sunlight makes us sparkle, not to mention being packed in a classroom full of humans with the smell of blood running in their veins? I'm not sure Bella is ready to be so close to so many humans for hours at a time. I mean the smell of blood is hard enough to resist if we just go shopping and the humans aren't impinging on her personal space like it will be just walking the halls of some college with students hurrying to and from class. Some of them are bound to bump into her on accident and I'm not sure how she would react if that happened."

"Well she could wear contacts and why can't she go to college somewhere where it is cloudy more often then not, either that or somewhere it is cold most of year so she has an excuse to cover up? As for being so close to humans I think you are underestimating her because wasn't it you that took her gambling when she was still a newborn and wasn't the casino packed?"

"But not like in a classroom," said Jasper although he did realize that Char had a point. "The casino is big and there is plenty of space to move around that's not true in a classroom where the space is limited."

"I still think you are underestimating her resistance and you will never know if she can do it unless you let her try. If things go well she could actually go to college and get a degree or even several degrees if she wanted."

"And if they don't she will have to deal with the guilt of killing someone innocent," Japer pointed out, "but I see your point and it's really not a bad idea. I'll ask Bella what she thinks about it although if she doesn't want to I'm not going to force her."

"You do that, I believe the experience will do her good," said Char giving Jasper a kiss on the cheek.

"You're probably right about that. You know it's funny how she can be so confident doing almost anything else but when it comes to being around a group of people besides me she gets all shy and embarrassed if she is asked to do anything that involves bringing attention to her. She can be such a bundle of contradictions, someone who is confident in most situations, but ask her to do something in front of a crowd and she refuses outright and a lot of times no amount of persuasion will change her mind."

Char nodded as she had come to know her niece very well over the last century and Jasper was spot on in his description of her personality.

"Well I had better go find Bella," said Jasper finally rising from where he was sitting and heading towards the house without another word, Char following.

Flashback

"Now are you sure you want this?" asked Jasper. "Once I get started I can't guarantee I'll be able to stop."

"Yes, Jasper, this is what I want," said Bella sending him all her lust and desire. "Take me, I'm yours," she added throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a passionate kiss. "Only yours until we both meet our ends."

Jasper growled with desire at his mate's words and without pausing placed Bella gently on the bed and then ripped her clothes off.

"Mine," Jasper murmured kissing her forehead, "mine!" he roared but this time kissing her on the lips.

Jasper laid down on the bed, rolled on top of her and started by placing kisses along her collarbone also using his tongue leaving a trail of venom along her skin.

"Jasper," Bella groaned her fists tangled in his long blond hair. "You're wearing to many clothes," she added removing her hands from his long, curly, blond hair long enough to rip his shirt off and then his pants not stopping long enough to even consider the fact that if she had still been human she never would have been able to just rip material like it was made of paper. Bella stared at his chest and saw his scars clearly for the first time but instead of scaring her they only made her want him more.

"So beautiful," Bella murmured raising up enough to lick a scar along his collarbone. Jasper groaned but continued placing open mouth kisses along her chest. That she accepted his scars made him feel like he was finally free of his violent past. It was true that he had shown her his scars before she was changed but her human eyes would have been to weak to really see them very clearly but to know that now as a vampire she could see them and that she still accepted them and him made him want to shout from the rooftops that he was free of his past and that Bella was his until the end of their existences. Alice had never liked his scars which was one of the reasons that he had known that they couldn't be mates because from what he had known on the subject a mate was supposed to accept you and in his case that included his scars for they were a part of him.

"Oh Isabella, what you do to me," Jasper murmured softly as he looked at his mate's sexy body, memorizing all her curves, before finally taking one of her nipples into his mouth and sucking on it until Bella groaned the pleasure coursing through her

"Take me," Bella panted her voice thick with passion, love, lust and need, "There is no need to be gentle. Claim me, Jasper! I can't wait to be devoured, owned and possessed by you and only you."

Jasper growled and obeyed his mate's command with alacrity. "See what you do to me woman?" he asked lifting off her enough so she could see how his penis was standing at attention already leaking semen and venom. Bella groaned and lifted her head up enough so she could lick the tip of Jasper's engorged penis which to her looked humongous. It had to be at least nine or ten inches long and very thick but it tasted so heavenly that Bella knew that nothing would ever compare to her Jasper. Only he could fill her up with love and passion and leave her more then satisfied every time because she knew that he loved her with every fiber and molecule of his being just as she loved him. "Gods, Jasper you taste heavenly," Bella groaned as she took another taste running her tongue around the tip licking up the liquid that was leaking from the opening. Jasper groaned as Bella took the general into her mouth and started to suck. The sensations her warm, wet mouth were making him feel were not only causing his penis to feel as if it wanted to explode from sheer pleasure but also sending waves of pure bliss so strong all through his body that he couldn't hold back long continuous purrs of pleasure nor did he want to as Bella needed to know what she did to him and how she made him feel.

"I'm going to come," Jasper warned his mate his voice so thick with his emotions that he was surprised that the words were understandable at all. Bella didn't respond verbally to Jasper's words and just kept sucking on her mate's cock softly until finally with a long continuous groan Jasper's orgasm reached its peak and his penis released all its contents into his Bella's mouth where he watched as she swallowed every single drop purring in pleasure and delight the whole time the vibrations providing him with even more stimulation. Bella's swallowing of his semen and the way she purred the whole time had to be the most erotic thing Jasper had ever seen in all the years of his existence and made him want to make love to her again and again and again never leaving the bed at all.

Bella finally released Jasper's penis after he had come in her mouth and she had swallowed every single drop of his delicious seed. Bella had never been turned on by the boys she had known previously and yet all Jasper had to do was look at her and she found herself immediately so wet and aroused that is was painful and the only way to relieve the tension was to have Jasper's cock buried as deep into her body as it would go.

Jasper's cock stood at attention again the second Bella released it from her mouth and immediately he rolled them over until he was on top and Bella was on the bottom so he could start showing his mate what she did to him. Jasper wanted to return the favor of what Bella had just done for him and he was sure that she hadn't even been half trying. Jasper immediately started placing little nips and bites all along his mate's skin until he finally reached what he considered nirvana which was her pussy that was already so wet and ready for him that the liquid was leaking onto the bed. Jasper leaned down and gently stuck his tongue into her pussy and licked the liquid that it had produced right up and groaned as she tasted exquisite. He would gladly lick up whatever liquid her pussy produced for the rest of time for he could never get enough of how she tasted, not even if he lived for five million years. He stuck his tongue even further up until he hit her clit which caused her to almost come off the bed entirely.

"Crap!" Bella shouted practically coming off the bed as the sensations of pleasure started to build until she felt as if she would explode. "That feels so goddamn good."

Jasper didn't respond verbally and instead stuck one finger and then two into her pussy running them along the inside while also stimulating the clit with his tongue again which caused Bella to immediately orgasm so hard that she came all over his hand.

"Damn!" Bella shouted once she had come back down from her very first ever orgasm. "I never knew I could feel so much pleasure," she added as soon as she had regained enough breath to speak.

"Oh, darlin', we are only getting started," Jasper assured her his eyes black and his voice husky with desire. "I am going to do things to you that probably would have killed you if I had done them while you were human, but now that you are like me and no longer breakable well, you'll see." The promise in Jasper's voice made Bella shiver as she imagined the pleasure still to come. "Besides I am just returning the favor of what you just did for me. Anyway back to what you said earlier about how you wanted me to claim you and so I shall just like you will claim me so that we only belong to each other for the rest of eternity. After I am done with you, you will never want anybody else just like I never will and that's a promise. You will never even look at another man the way you do me once I am finished with you just like I will never be interested in another woman."

"Enough talk, just take me," ordered Bella huskily already wet and wanting him again. "I have never wanted nor desired any boy or man until I met you," Bella assured him. "You are the only man that I have ever wanted and the only one I will ever want no matter how many centuries we live. You are welcome to do whatever you want to me as I am yours and have been from the first moment we met even if I didn't realize it at the time." Bella pulled Jasper down on top of her and licked his bottom lip requesting entrance which he immediately granted. Their tongues intertwined with each other and the kiss quickly deepened. When they finally broke the kiss both were panting and not because they needed to breath but because of the feelings they had for each other, which were building the more they did.

"Take me," Bella repeated her voice thick with love and passion but still understandable. "I'm yours, now and forever. Only you have ever made me feel so loved, protected and cared for without making me feel like I can't take care of myself if I had to." Bella could hardly wait to see what it felt like to be devoured, possessed and owned by him for the rest of time. She wanted, no needed to be filled with his love, desire and lust so she knew without a doubt that he needed her, her heart, her body, her soul and her mind.

Jasper responded by kissing along her neck and then behind her ear using his tongue to lick her earlobe.

"Damn that feels heavenly," Bella purred surprised that she was still able to talk at all much less be coherent, as the pleasure running through her was unlike anything she had ever felt before in her short eighteen years. If it felt this good to make love to a man you truly loved then they would be making love all the damn time. Of course it might have something to do with being mates as well not that it mattered.

Both of them groaned as Jasper continued kissing and licking his way down her body and both knew that neither one of them would be able to last much longer as the pleasure kept building and building until he felt like he was going to explode for the second time of the night and he knew Bella felt the same because he could feel her second orgasm of the evening build rapidly until she was right on the cusp of going over.

Jasper positioned the general at his mate's entrance knowing that now was not the time to be gentle as his instincts were demanding that he mark his mate as his for all time which was what they both wanted as well so without further ado he slammed the general home breaking her virginity barrier with just a single thrust and immediately growled in pleasure as he sheathed himself in her tight, wet pussy. "Oh darlin', you are so wet and so tight," he groaned sending out his emotions of lust, love, need and pleasure. "You feel as if you were made just for me."

"I was," panted Bella her eyes black with desire, passion and need after the pain of Jasper breaking her virginity barrier had subsided. "I was made only for you, which as why we fit together so perfectly."

Jasper growled but otherwise didn't acknowledge his mate's words and Bella gripped his hair harder with one hand while her other was leaving scratch marks on his back as he slammed into her again not having time to be gentle as he had been wanting her for so long and his need was just to great and that was despite the fact that she had just made him orgasm by sucking on his cock a few minutes ago.

"Harder!" Bella ordered her voice thick with passion. "I'm not human anymore and therefore I'm not breakable. I need to feel you as you come in me. Claim me, Jasper," Bella demanded for the second time that night, "so the demon within me knows it belongs to no one else but you and never will."

At her words Jasper slammed his penis home as hard as he could and he knew if she had still been human she would have broken apart from the way he rammed himself into her. He felt himself release his semen into her tight pussy and both their orgasms overtook them at the same time and at the last, possible instant he bit down on the right side of Bella's neck marking her as his for all time while Bella did the same to him each yelling the other's name as they both came yet again.

When they both finally released each others neck, both had a crescent shaped mark at the juncture between neck and shoulder on the right side.

Jasper licked Bella's mating mark with his tongue releasing some of his venom in order to seal the wound while Bella did the same thing to him.

The two venoms mixed together and when they both tasted the combined taste on their tongues as they sealed each other's wounds made them groan in pleasure.

"Well darlin', you are mine now," said Jasper his love and contentment washing over her.

"Just like you are mine, cowboy," said Bella laying her head in Jasper's chest sighing in contentment.

"I am sorry I was so rough on you, but I just couldn't wait to make you mine," said Jasper looking contrite after a few seconds of contented silence

"Jasper, I wanted you to be rough with me," Bella said gently. "I want you to realize that I am no longer breakable. We don't have to be rough all the time but this time my demon was demanding that I claim you as mine and I'm sure that your demon was demanding that you claim me as yours."

"He was and it was what I wanted as well," said Jasper, then added. "I had been waiting for so long that my demon just wanted me to mark and be rough with you."

"Well there you go," said Bella giving Jasper a kiss. "By the way you don't believe we are done do you?" Bella added with a sexy smirk lust radiating from every pore. "Oh no, we are nowhere near done. Now that I know what making love with you feels likes we aren't leaving this bed for at least the next week."

"Except to hunt," Jasper reminded her. "You really should hunt every two or three days while you are still a newborn before your throat starts searing to badly. Eventually it'll get to the point that you only need to hunt once every couple of weeks."

"Except to hunt," Bella agreed with a smirk. "Now Mr. Whitlock your attention and participation are required in this next activity."

"And what activity would that be Miss Swan?" asked Jasper with a smirk feeling the humor as well as the lust just rolling off Bella.

"I believe it is called making love and it takes at least two people's participation."

"Well then let's get to it then shall we," Jasper murmured as the general was already standing at attention ready for another round, which was one of the great things about being a vampire as you never got tired.

"Yes, let's," Bella agreed rolling until she was on top of him. "The first thing I'm going to do is kiss and lick every single one of your scars until you know in your head as well as your heart that I accept you scars and all. I never want to hear you put yourself down again or look at your scars with disgust. Do you know what I see in your scars?" asked Bella seriously while stroking his cheek tenderly.

"What?" asked Jasper moved by her words knowing she meant every single one.

"I see a man who is brave and who has survived things that would have killed most other people whether they were vampires or not. I see a man that despite his violent past has risen above it even when it wasn't easy to do and finally I see a man that would put his life on the line for the people that he loves. If anything I should wonder what you see in me."

"Now none of that," ordered Jasper huskily. "We talked about that already and if I need to accept my scars you need to accept that you are worthy of being loved and loving in return." He then added, "And Bella you see me so differently then anybody else ever has including the Cullens. I'm not saying they didn't accept me, well all except for fuckwad, just that they didn't understand my past nor did they like seeing my scars."

"Perhaps it is harder to accept some things unless you have experienced something similar yourself," Bella suggested as she ran her hand up and down his chest in a tender and loving caress. "What I experienced with James while horrific gave me some perspective on what it's like to survive something like that and maybe that's the reason I can accept your scars."

"Perhaps you're right," Jasper conceded, "Although I have a suspicion that in your case you would have accepted my scars whether or not you had gone through that whole thing with James as I believe it is just the kind of person you are which is kind and caring."

"Jasper, I have a question for you," said Bella looking nervous.

"Ask your question and I promise not to judge you," said Jasper sending her his love and comfort when he felt how nervous she was.

"What would you think if I invited Renee and Phil somewhere and then did away with her and that piece of scum she married? I know my emotions are a little out of control right now, as I remember you warning me they would be for at least the first year, but I don't believe I'll feel any differently in a year or two or five. My own mother abandoned me when I needed her most. She said she would be there at the hospital and then she never showed, so not only did I essentially lose my father that day, but my mother as well. You know what really burns me though?" asked Bella.

"What?" asked Jasper sending her a constant stream of his love and devotion.

"The fact that when I was growing up I was the one taking care of my mother when it should have been her taking care of me since I was only a child. If I hadn't taken responsibility though we would have lost the house because of unpaid bills and ended up on the street, either that or gotten food poisoning because my mother couldn't cook to save her life. I took care of her for seventeen years until I came to live with my father after she married Phil and yet how does she repay me? She can't even show up at the hospital and give me the support I need when her ex-husband is going through surgery. She could have at least shown up at Charlie's funeral."

"I was there," Jasper reminded her. "And so were the rest of the Cullens, well all except for fuckwad."

"I know, I remember," Bella admitted quietly. "Having you as well as the other Cullens there and having their love and support as well as yours was the only thing that kept me sane. So what do you think of my idea?"

"Is this something you really want?" asked Jasper seriously his newly red eyes boring into that of his mate's studying her. "Killing off the last of your family is going to be different then hunting and feeding off criminals," he warned. "It will be deliberate murder and not because you need to feed. Even though they have wronged you are you sure that is what you want?"

"Yes," Bella answered returning Jasper's stare her eyes hard. She refused to look away from Jasper ruby red gaze and the determination was clear in her eyes, her voice and her emotions. "I am still having a hard time believing my own mother did that to me and after all did for her."

Finally Jasper nodded, "Then yes I think it is an excellent idea and to tell you the truth I've been contemplating some way to kill them ever since they didn't even show up for Chief Swan's funeral as I knew that hurt you and no one, not even your own mother, is allowed to hurt the woman I love. The only reason I haven't done it yet was because I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it but now that I know you had the same idea that I did I'm all for it."

"Thank you, Jasper," Bella giving him a passionate kiss.

"Don't thank me, darlin'. In my experience their are some people in this world that get away with far to much and are never caught. I'm not just talking about your run-of-the-mill criminals, but people who abuse their spouses or children behind closed doors or people like your mother and stepfather who don't bother to show up when you are trying to deal with your grief on your own and after they tell you they would be there. Now I know the type of people like your mother aren't considered criminals in the eyes of the law but in my book when you hurt someone you love like that deliberately that is even worse then your everyday criminal."

"You have a very unusual view of the world, cowboy," said Bella with a small smile.

"Well I was raised in the south in the late 1800's ma'am and I was taught at my mother's knee to care about people. I'm not saying abuses and stuff didn't go on back then, but there was certainly not as much of it as there is today. A lot of the human race has gotten more violent over the last century and a half, but I digress. As I was saying back when I was growing up people were taught to respect each other and to help their fellow man and what your mother did was worse in my opinion then a drug dealer selling drugs to someone."

"Why?" asked Bella, curiosity rolling off her.

"Well when a drug dealer sells someone drugs at least it is the person's choice to buy and consume it, but what your mother did by deliberately leaving you hanging when you needed her most is the kind of thing that enrages me and I would feel that way even if it was a total stranger that it had happened to, but since it was you, to me that makes it a hundred times worse because I love you and she caused you pain. I could forgive that kind of thing if it was accidental but leaving someone hanging when you really need them deliberately is not something I can or will forgive."

"I love you," said Bella putting her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a passionate kiss.

"And I love you," said Jasper once they broke the kiss their conversation forgotten for the moment in favor of other activities that were much more pleasurable.

"And now back to what we were doing," Bella murmured, starting to place open mouthed kisses and licks on every single one of Jasper's scars and he had a lot of them.

By the time she was halfway down his chest Jasper was groaning, growling and purring his pleasure loud enough for the whole house to hear.

"Hmm what do we have here," Bella murmured seductively as she looked Jasper's engorged member for a moment before running her tongue along the tip and then taking it gently into her mouth for the second time of the night swallowing the entire length and gently sucking. Swallowing the entire length of Jasper's very large cock was not something she would have been able to do as a human without gagging she was sure but now that she was a vampire she had no trouble at all swallowing her lover's entire erection. One of the great things about being a vampire was that she now had no gag reflex like she would have if she had still been human.

Jasper groaned again his fingers digging into the mattress so hard that his fingers actually left holes and rips. "Bella!" Jasper growled as pleasure coursed through him even stronger then the first time she had done it. What Bella was doing to him and making him feel was much, much stronger than what he had ever felt when he'd made love to Alice and it had to be because he loved Bella so much more then he had Alice. It wasn't that he hadn't loved Alice, but the feelings he had for Bella just didn't compare to what he had felt for his previous wife. It was the difference of giving just a small sip of water to a dying man and then taking it away or leading him to a river for him to drink. His feelings for Bella were at least a thousand times stronger then what he had ever felt for Alice and while he was sorry she was gone and knew he would always love her his feelings were just much stronger and deeper for Bella.

Finally Bella released Jasper's penis and started kissing her way down the inside of his right thigh which also had a few scars but not near as many as his shoulders, chest and arms.

"I love your body," Bella said softly tracing one of his scars. "It is so strong and your scars just prove to me how much you have survived and how brave you are, because that many scars would have killed most ordinary people."

"I'm going to come," Jasper warned his mate for the second time. He was more moved by his mate's words then she knew.

"Take me, cowboy, I'm yours," Bella ordered forcefully.

Jasper didn't respond verbally but instead flipped them over until he was on top and not a second later the general had been rammed home and he came instantly inside his mate's body.

Once they both came down from their orgasms they just lay their quietly still connected to each other.

"That was amazing," said Jasper. "It has never been like that for me, never."

"Not even when you were married to Alice?" asked Bella trying to not be jealous.

"No, I have never felt like this before with anyone. I'm not saying the sex with Alice wasn't good but comparing having sex with her to making love to you is like comparing a trickle of water to a whole fucking stream."

"You were together for a long time," said Bella.

"Yes, I won't deny we were, but Bella what you have to understand is that while I cared for Alice and I always will we weren't mates. As I said earlier I never felt the urge to mark her which was why I knew that we weren't meant to stay together forever as a vampire will only want to mark his or her one true mate. Eternity is a long time to spend alone and we did love each other at one point, but what I feel for you just doesn't compare," said Jasper sending her his love, desire and lust which was so strong that Bella knew if she had still been human she probably would have fainted from the intensity of the feelings he was sending her. "That is what I feel for you, darlin'. You are my air and I don't think I could stand to be away from you for any length of time."

"I feel the same way," said Bella finally accepting that Jasper loved her as much as he was her air, she was his. She wasn't sure what she had ever done to earn his love but she wasn't going to quibble.

"One of the things I love about you is you accept me, my past, scars and that is not something I can say for anybody else."

"Not even Alice?" asked Bella.

"No, not even Alice," said Jasper, sighing while running a hand through his hair looking sad. "She hated my scars and never understood that my scars are part of me. It's the reason you never saw me in short sleeves when I was with the Cullens. You are the first person to not only accept my past, but my scars. Everybody else except Carlisle felt disgust when they saw them because it was a reminder of my violent past."

"I always did think you looked weird in khakis and those long sleeved button down shirts you were always wearing."

"That was all Alice," said Jasper shaking his head. "If it had been just me I would have stuck to jeans and short sleeve shirts, but Alice couldn't stand jeans and thought that they had no style."

"Well I for one would love to see you in jeans and short sleeve shirts or better yet nothing at all as I love looking at your body. Just seeing your naked body makes me so wet and wanting you so bad that I can barely see straight. To me you are the handsomest man in the world."

Jasper growled, kissing his mate with love and passion. He could also feel his penis that was still inside his mate's body hardening.

"You have no idea what your words mean to me," said Jasper beginning to make slow, gentle love to his mate. "You make me feel better about myself then I have in a long time."

"I think I have an idea," said Bella quietly as her hands ran up and down Jasper's back leaving scratch marks in there wake.

Jasper acknowledged Bella's words by placing gentle kisses all up and down her neck and chest. After that it wasn't long before Bella orgasmed again which had to be at least her sixth or seventh that night although she wasn't sure as she had lost count. While Bella was in the middle of her climax Jasper came again as well.

And that was how they spent the next three days talking and making love in between.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Bella was so relaxed that she didn't want to move where she was laying atop of Jasper on the other hand she knew that she would need to hunt soon as she could already feel a slight burn begin in her throat.

"You need to hunt," said Jasper as he began to feel the hunger coming off his mate.

"I know," said Bella lazily, "but I'm so comfortable I hate to move."

"I could probably use some blood as well after all the physical activity we have been doing," Jasper admitted with a smirk as they had been making love for almost three days straight and he had brought his mate to multiple climaxes although he had lost count of the number. Of course Bella had brought him multiple orgasms as well, and he had never come so many times in such a short period of time. He must have climaxed at least thirty or forty times in the last three days and that might seem like an outrageous amount but when you didn't need to sleep, didn't get tired, didn't eat, or use the bathroom it really wasn't. It was one of the great things about being a vampire.

Bella gave Jasper a quick kiss and got off his chest with visible reluctance. Jasper didn't look any happier at the loss of contact but he knew that Bella especially needed to hunt as she was only a week old.

Jasper got up off the bed as well and Bella admired her mate's nude body and the way he moved which was beautifully lethal. Her desire begin to rise again as she gazed at Jasper's very toned and muscled body which she immediately tried to push down before Jasper could feel it, for as much as she wanted him she knew she needed to hunt. She gave a mental sigh of regret as she continued gazing at her mate's muscled body getting wetter and wetter with arousal and desire.

Jasper turned around from where he was selecting something to wear and smirked at her for despite her attempt to hide it he had felt her growing desire and smelt her arousal, which wasn't really a surprise as he was very in tune with her emotions and her scent. "We don't have time for that, my mate, though I am very tempted but you especially need to hunt," Jasper said as he sent Bella his desire and lust for not only her body, but for her heart, her mind and her soul.

Bella's eyes went black with desire and need as she immediately sent her love and desire back to him.

Bella sighed letting Jasper feel her disappointment and began to get dressed.

"Don't worry my mate, as soon as we have hunted we will not leave the bed again until you need more blood, but let me tell you if I had my way we wouldn't leave the bed for at least the next year, maybe even two. I almost wish we could stock up on blood so we wouldn't have to leave the house at all."

"Why can't we?" asked Bella. "I mean why can't we build a room and go out hunting criminals and then keep them in that room until we need to feed?"

"That's an interesting idea but we would have to make the room soundproof so that their cries could not be heard and we would also have to feed them. As good of an idea is it is we can't have to many people disappearing at once even criminals."

"I suppose," said Bella looking disappointed that her idea apparently wouldn't work.

Jasper began to get dressed in jeans and a shirt that were just a little out of style as the last time he had been in this house had been fifteen years ago. "Don't be disappointed Bella it was a good idea and maybe we can build a room to hold enough people for a week or two and that would be better then trying to build a place big enough for enough humans for six months. Perhaps when we've moved into a more permanent home we can look into it although I think you'll discover that hunting is fun."

"That's true enough," Bella agreed. "I did enjoy killing those three kidnappers."

"You'll have to tell me sometime what you have against kidnappers," said Jasper as he finished getting dressed.

"Ask me after we hunt," Bella suggested. "I'll be glad to explain why I hate kidnappers so much and not only kidnappers, but rapists."

"I will," Jasper promised curious as to why his mate seemed to hate kidnappers and rapists so much as the emotions he had felt coming off her when she had discovered that the three people, she had later fed on, had kidnapped a young boy were ones of rage and hate. The emotions had been so strong that had the kidnappers been able to feel them they would have been knocked unconscious from the force of them. Jasper knew that Bella's emotions were much stronger now that she was vampire, but he had a feeling that they had been almost as strong as a human. He was extremely curious as to why Bella seemed to hate that particular kind of criminal so much.

"So where are we hunting tonight?" asked Bella as she put on a pair of Jasper's sweat pants and pulled the drawstring as tight as they would go as Jasper was much bigger in the waist then her and she also rolled up the legs like five times so she didn't trip over the cuffs when they got under her feet. Finally she pulled one of Jasper's shirts over her head as well which looked like she was swimming in it as Jasper had much broader shoulders then she did.

Jasper didn't say anything because he didn't want Bella upset with him but he thought she looked absolutely adorable in his clothes. She kind of looked like a child that was playing dress up. Finally after he was sure that his voice would sound normal he said, "Well, there is a club downtown that I thought we could go to. We can pretend to drink, do a little dancing and have some dinner all at the same place," said Jasper. "The bar which is called the Polar Bear is a known hangout for drug pushers, and other minor criminals."

"I don't dance. I was so clumsy I never learned because if I had it would have been an accident waiting to happen," said Bella looking embarrassed as she admitted that. "I've never been to a club either as don't most of them require that you be at least twenty-one in order to gain admittance since they all serve not only beer but hard liquor."

"Well, darlin'," said Jasper with a smug smirk. "You are now a vampire, therefore you are no longer clumsy so you can start learning things that you never did as a human and you might as well start with learning how to dance. Besides you have that brand new, forged ID that says you are twenty-one and I guarantee you that it will pass even the most rigorous security inspection."

"You have a point," Bella conceded beginning to get excited about learning to do things she would never have dared try as a human because of her lack of coordination. If she had tried things like learning to dance or anything that required coordination it would have been an almost surefire way to end up in the hospital with some kind of broken bone. Also she did have that new, forged ID that she hadn't had a chance to try out yet as it had just arrived yesterday. Jenks did good, fast work and had mailed the ID in the overnight mail but had also attached a note that said that rest of the new identification papers that had been requested would take longer. Bella knew that Charlie would certainly have disapproved of his eighteen year old daughter using a fake ID to get into a club even if she didn't intend to drink alcohol.

"Let's go," said Bella, excitement in her voice.

"What's got you so excited?" asked Jasper grinning smugly because he knew exactly what had his mate radiating excitement and happiness.

"You know perfectly well what has me so excited so don't pretend you don't," said Bella with a smirk. "Wait a minute what are we going to do about clothes? I'm sure the club requires you to dress nicely, from what I know, most of them do."

"Well, I'm sure Rose has been shopping and bought you some clothes while we were...um...otherwise occupied and if she hasn't I'm sure you can borrow something."

"You mean while we were busy fucking each other's brains out again and again," Bella smirked.

"Yeah, that," said Jasper throwing Bella a wink and smirking enjoying this new, more confident Bella.

"Rose buying me clothes, just what I need," Bella groaned after a moment, "I just hope she bought me stuff I'll actually wear without being forced and that didn't cost a ton of money just because it is from a famous designer."

"I know what you mean," said Jasper. "As much as I loved Alice the only reason I wore the clothes I did was because she forced me to."

"How could she force you?" asked Bella. "I mean unlike me you know how to stand up for yourself and say no."

"Well, Alice had a way of getting almost anyone to do what she wanted," said Jasper with a sigh as he remembered. "She had a way of making herself feel sad that I didn't want to wear what she had for me and if the emotional blackmail didn't work she would dry sob and feed me some sort of sob story about how she had bought them especially for me and she was sure I would love them. It's not that I fell for such tactics I am a strategist after all and I can recognize when I am being bamboozled but it was just easier to give in to her in the long run or she would have made my life miserable for months. The few times I did stand up to her it was like my own personal sun had been cut off from me. When she finally chose to forgive me I would be so grateful that I would do almost anything she wanted."

Bella shook her head, "I loved Alice as a sister and I know I shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but she should have allowed you and me to wear what we wanted. The stuff she bought and put me in a lot of the time just wasn't me and made me very uncomfortable to wear, but as you said it was hard to say no to her. I've never been the type of person that needs or even feels comfortable spending thousands of dollars on clothes. I am much more comfortable wearing things like jeans and t-shirts or if I'm going somewhere where it is required that you dress up a skirt and blouse."

"I know I feel the same way," said Jasper. "After all I am a southern boy at heart and from what little I remember from my human life my family wasn't rich. I am much more comfortable in normal clothes despite the fact the I have more money then Bill Gates. Besides I don't want anyone seeing what kind of body you have but me," he added teasingly. "If anybody saw your body and all your sexy curves they would be all over you asking you for dates."

"What about you?" asked Bella not believing for a minute what Jasper said was true for she might be pretty as a vampire but she was hardly gorgeous and still pretty plain compared to people like Rosalie. "I saw how some of those high school girls at Forks High secretly drooled over you, Emmett and fuckwad."

Jasper smirked at Bella's name for Eddie just like he did every time for it pleased him that she now hated him and whatever feelings she had had for him were completely gone. Of course he knew that Bella had never felt for Edward what she felt for him in all the time they had been dating and that wasn't to say that Bella hadn't loved Eddie at one point, but her feelings for fuckwad were very pale in comparison to her feelings for him.

"You don't need to worry darlin', none of those girls then or now could hold a candle to you. It was only natural that those girls were always feeling lust for us, as it is part of the attraction and helps us attract our meals or at least those of us who don't go after criminals. Of course sometimes it can help with that to. Besides that was one of the things that originally attracted me to you, you know your purity of emotion. Your emotions compared to the other girls were so different and you felt so strongly. I had never felt such strong, pure emotions from a human before you."

"So how come you never approached me?" asked Bella curiously with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I wasn't sure of my control back then and I still might have done it but fuckwad got to you first and even though we didn't really like each other, hated each other come to that, I wasn't going to get in his way. It was the principle of the thing, because I didn't give a shit about fuckwad's feelings. Besides even though I didn't realize it at the time I liked you to much to come between you and Eddie if that was what you wanted. It was more for your sake then his."

Bella digested that then said, "Well I'm glad we are finally together and from what I remember of my relationship with fuckwad, I never felt as strongly about him as I do you. From my vague memories it seemed more like a crush or what is known as puppy love."

Jasper smirked in satisfaction at Bella's words. "Well, darlin' let's go get us some dinner, shall we?" asked Jasper offering Bella his hand which she took without hesitation.

"Yes, let's," said Bella. "I'm starting to get really thirsty."

"Yes, I can feel your hunger in your emotions, so we'll go see what Rose bought for you and then we can be on our way."

End Flashback

"Emmett!" Bella squealed running out the front door of the ranch style house throwing herself into her brother's arms as he and Rosalie got out of their rental car. It was over a week later since Bella and Jasper had arrived in Houston in order to spend time with Peter and Char.

"Hey little sis," said Emmett picking her up and swinging her around. "I've missed you."

"Not very much apparently as you haven't been to visit in three years," Bella scolded putting her hands on her hips and glaring half playfully and half angrily at her brother.

Emmett looked down and scuffed one foot back and forth in the dirt looking ashamed of himself.

"I'm sorry we haven't been by to visit, Bella," Emmett apologized looking up with a pleading look on his face begging to be forgiven

Bella sighed and rolled her eyes a small smile twitching on her lips. "Fine, you're forgiven, Em, but you had better not do it again. It's not like I can stay mad at my favorite brother anyway."

"I'm your only brother," Emmett beamed his whole face lighting up at Bella's forgiveness his dimples showing.

"You would still be my favorite even if I had a dozen brothers," Bella said giving him another hug unable to stay mad at Emmett for very long. For one thing holding a grudge wasn't usually in her nature except in very special circumstances like with Edward all those years ago, but it took something extraordinary for her to stay mad and for another she and Em had always been especially close even when she was human.

They walked into the house side by side to where the rest of the family including Rose was waiting.

"And don't I even get a hello?" asked Rose as they walked into the den where everybody was sitting. "I haven't seen you in three years either you know."

"And whose fault is that?" asked Bella with a quirked eyebrow. "You could have come and visited you know, you just never did."

"Yes we could have," Rosalie admitted, "but Emmett and I were having so much fun just exploring that I guess we never took the time and for that I'm sorry."

"I suppose you're forgiven," said Bella as she gave Rose a hug and a kiss on the cheek before going and sitting in Jasper's lap putting her head on his shoulder and snuggling into his arms happily.

"So what have you been doing for the last few years?" asked Peter looking interested.

"Oh nothing much, just wondering from place to place, taking in the sights," said Rose. "We've kind of been at loose ends for a long time now as there's only so much traveling and exploring you can do at one time before you are sick of it."

"Why do you think Bella and I have spaced out the trips we have taken," said Jasper as he held his wife in his arms. "We enjoy traveling, but we also enjoy just being at home and living quietly."

"Not to mention with our jobs with the Volturi we've done quite a bit of traveling for work," Bella added. "Although we were thinking about retiring."

"You were?" asked Rose with a raised eyebrow curiosity in her eyes. "I thought you loved working for them."

"We do, but we also like to travel without interruptions and it seems like every time we want to take a trip and just relax and enjoy ourselves work always interferes," said Jasper.

"Besides we weren't going to permanently retire, just temporarily, like for the next fifty or a hundred years so we can do some things we want and then maybe we would go back to it," said Bella.

"That makes sense, and you have been doing it for a long time," said Emmett.

"Well we haven't come to a decision yet, but we need to as our current contract ends in less then six months and we need to reach a decision before then," said Jasper.

They were all silent for for a while, then Bella said, "Did you ever thing about maybe settling down?"

"Doing what?" asked Rose with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, Jasper and I have been to a lot of nightclubs over the last century and I was just thinking that maybe that would be a place for our kind to come for dancing, food and pure entertainment. I'm not sure a vampire has ever owned a business of their own and actually ran it and I've never understood why."

"That would cause trouble you know," pointed out Char. "I mean our kind is supposed to keep themselves low-key so humans are unaware of our existence."

"That's true enough, but the reason I thought a nightclub would be a good idea is they only open at night and who says that we can't hire a human manager to run everything and we could be the silent partners? Or even a place that is open in the daytime as well and have a human manager run it in the daytime and find a vampire to run it at night. The lighting in nightclubs is dim enough that the humans wouldn't be able to tell the color of our eyes and unless you can we look just like humans."

"That's true enough," said Jasper kissing the top of her head. "When did you come up with this idea?"

"Oh a while," said Bella as she snuggled into Jasper's lap. "I mean I understand why for a vampire most business ventures would be off limits since most businesses are open in the day and that was the reason I thought of a nightclub as most of them are open until three or four am and they are popular with all age groups, have dancing, drinks and sometimes food for the humans and no cops are likely to come knocking at your door asking about the disappearance of someone as people disappear from places like that all the time. It will be assumed that they were murdered or something else unfortunate happened to them and as long as a body is never discovered..."

"You know, I never thought about it before, but Bella does have a point," said Rose looking intrigued at the idea. "Police would never investigate if someone disappears from a place like that even if it is reported in the first place."

"And why can't we have bottles of blood mixed with water for the vampire's that show up?" Peter suggested speaking for the first time since the discussion had begun. "It would look just like red wine and we could keep them separate from the regular stock so they don't get mixed up and given to a human by accident.

"It is an interesting suggestion and if we can work out the logistics of it it might be good idea," Jasper admitted. "Not only would it bring in money..." Bella snorted at that as she knew they all had enough money to last them for at last the next thousand years or more. "...it would give our kind a place to go in order to feed quietly if we were in the area. We could even have rooms in the back or an underground tunnel where our kind could take their meals."

"And what about a trash incinerator in order to get rid of the bodies?" suggested Emmett finally entering the conversation having been listening but not saying anything until now.

"That's a good suggestion Emmett," Bella told her brother looking proud. "That way we wouldn't have to worry about getting rid of the evidence."

"We might want to check with the Volturi and make sure this isn't breaking any laws before you get to far in your planning," Char suggested, "so long as it is okay with them then it is a excellent idea."

"I was planning to," Jasper assured her, "but as far as I know it is not breaking any laws so long as we keep it low-key and none of the humans ever discover that a club is run by a bunch of blood sucking vampires." The last part of the sentence was said with humor lacing his voice.

"Even if they did all we would have to do would be to either turn them into a vampire or drain them," said Peter.

"But only if we are confronted by them, I mean they could figure out what we are and instead of coming and confronting us they could go to the police..." Char pointed out.

"Who would never believe them," said Peter.

"...or simply come and burn the place down," said Char.

"You're imagining a worse case scenario that isn't likely to happen," Rose pointed out.

"Somebody has to the pessimist here and keep the rest of you lot out of trouble," said Char with a smirk.

They discussed it for a while but couldn't really began planning it out until they checked with the Volturi.

"Where would this nightclub be located if we do get approval from the Volturi and who would run it?" asked Emmett.

"I thought maybe you and Rose could give it a try," said Bella, "which is the reason I suggested it to you in the first place. You did say you were tired of traveling and if you get tired of running a nightclub, if we ever get it off the ground that is, we can find someone else to do it I'm sure, so in order to answer your question if you do decide to run it I say you ought to be able to have one anywhere in the world you want, Paris, Rome, or even Antarctica if that is what you want," said Bella grinning mischievously as she suggested Antarctica as she knew that particular suggestion wouldn't not go over well.

"Antarctica, burr," Rose fake shivered her eyes sparkling with humor. "Not to mention there is nowhere decent to shop."

Everybody burst out laughing at Rose's comment as Bella had intended all along. "You and your shopping," said Jasper shaking his head his amusement obvious.

"You have to admit I'm not as bad as Alice," said Rose her red eyes sparkling with laughter.

"No you aren't quite that bad," Bella admitted, "You do let me buy what I want and don't try to force me to get things I don't like and also unlike her you don't have to go into every single store."

"Was Alice really that bad?" asked Char curiously.

"Oh yes," answered Bella, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett all at the same time.

"She was shopaholic. Shopping was an obsession with her," added Bella once the laughter had subsided. "Whenever she went to a mall she had to go to every single clothing store and it was like she was on a rampage to get in and out as fast as possible so she could get to the next one. She would always forget that at the time I needed to eat and I absolutely loathed going shopping with her but she was very pushy and always got me to go along. If that wasn't bad enough she was always buying me things I never normally would have worn and of course they were all designer and cost hundreds of dollars for one outfit. No matter what I said she did what she liked and then badgered me until I accepted them."

Peter and Charlotte had met Alice a couple of times but since they hadn't been able to stand each other they hadn't gotten to know each other very well.

"Bella's right," said Jasper. "I will always love Alice, but she did have this shopping addiction and she did buy Bella all these expensive clothes, which I could tell that she didn't want to accept but Alice had a way of making people do what she wanted whether that was accepting something she had bought for them or getting them to do something they wouldn't normally do. Every time I tried to say something about it though she would either ignore me or be mad at me for weeks afterwards."

I know we didn't know her very well but she sounds very controlling," said Charlotte finally.

"It wasn't that precisely," Rosalie disagreed, "I've always thought that she was at least partly like she was because she couldn't remember her past, any of it. She was so full of energy and life that she simply couldn't walk across a room instead she bounced and she couldn't sit still for very long unless she was doing something like watching a movie. She always had to be doing something whether it was planning some event, shopping or forcing Bella to play what she called Bella Barbie."

"Thank goodness I'm no longer forced to endure those sessions," said Bella with a shudder.

"Bella Barbie?" asked Peter curiously

"Makeovers. I don't believe in a hundred years I never mentioned it, but I suppose that just goes to show you how somebody can try to block out certain memories," said Bella. "Alice had enough makeup to fill a Revlon factory and she forced me to endure those sessions. It's not that I have anything against looking nice but I didn't see the need to wear as much makeup as she insisted on unless I was going somewhere special and even then she tended to overdo it. I suppose it wouldn't have been so bad if I had gotten to choose what I wanted to have done, but Alice always went by her visions even though she knew they were subjective and not set in stone and I never got a say. It's not that I wanted her dead but I'm still glad I no longer have to put up with those things."

"Couldn't you just have told her no?" asked Peter innocently.

Bella, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper all snorted at that statement. "Do you really believe you could tell the pixie no and not suffer the consequences?" asked Bella. "I suppose you didn't know her as well as the four of us did, but telling Alice no was just asking for trouble."

"As for me I tended to make myself scarce during those sessions which was the smart thing to do," said Jasper. "I either went hunting or to my study just to get myself out of the way before Alice asked me to do something I didn't want to do."

Everyone snickered at that, but Jasper was right it had been the smart thing to do because if he had stuck around he would have been pulled into doing something to help out whether he had wanted to or not so it had been better to make himself scarce. The six old friends talked for a long time and before they knew it night had fallen.

Flashback

An hour later Jasper and Bella walked into the club, and ordered drinks as soon as they sat down. Bella had asked Rose if she had any clothes she could borrow as most of her stuff had been destroyed when the house had caught on fire and Rose had brought several bags to hers and Jasper's room and said she had been shopping while Bella had been busy. Bella had been apprehensive on what she would find until she had actually looked into the bags and found several outfits that she didn't mind actually wearing. Apparently Rose actually knew what she liked and actually thought about her needs instead of buying her stuff she would be uncomfortable in. One of the outfits had been nice enough to go clubbing in and Bella had hugged Rose and asked her to buy her some more stuff next time she went shopping. Rose had been shocked until Bella explained that Alice had never listened to what she liked and had always been buying her stuff that she was very uncomfortable in while she on the other hand had actually gotten her some things that she didn't mind wearing and could be comfortable in which she would be forever grateful for. Bella had then told Rose that she and Jasper were going hunting as well as dancing at a club if she and Emmett wanted to come but Rose had declined for her and Emmett. Both looked around the club trying not to be to obvious that they were observing the room. "There," Bella whispered low enough that it was impossible for anybody but another vampire to hear her especially with the music playing and the noise of the crowd, looking in the direction of the bar where a man was already staring at her and had been since she had entered the club. The man wasn't even being discrete about it but was openly ogling her even though it was obvious that she was with someone else.

Jasper growled under his breath as he felt the man's emotions. "What's he feeling, cowboy?" asked Bella wondering what had made him growl like that.

"His main emotion is lust but there is also attraction, anger, confidence and cockiness. He has been staring at you since you entered the club ten minutes ago and with that combination of emotions he probably thinks he is god's gift to women."

"Oh one of those," said Bella with a chuckle. "Vile Mike the second."

Jasper chuckled as he remembered Mike Newton had thought himself a ladies man and had tried to to get Bella to go on a date with him on numerous occasions and even after she had turned him down every time he was like a persistent puppy dog and kept trying. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on whether you liked him or hated him, he had been killed in the same shootout that had killed Bella's father and best friend.

"What I am going to do is slap you across the face," Bella whispered her plan and Jasper nodded in agreement. "Why don't you shoot him some more lust, cowboy," Bella added still in a whisper all the while sending Jasper her love and devotion. As soon as Jasper had sent his lust to the man, Bella slapped Jasper on the cheek in what looked like a hard blow but she wasn't even using half her strength as she didn't want to harm him since she was still a newborn and was stronger then him for now. "Well, you don't own me!" Bella shouted.

Jasper's head rolled with the blow and Bella stomped angrily towards the back door that led to the alley. Bella's senses were on high alert as she pretended to sob against the wall and she heard it immediately when the man followed her into the alley.

"Hey, babe, there is nothing to cry about," said a slurred voice. "Come with me and I'll make it all better, I promise."

"I think not," said Jasper having come up silently behind the man.

"Hey you are not wanted here," said the man that was so drunk that his sense of danger was not working as it should. If he had been sober he would have immediately been afraid just from the way both Jasper and Bella moved for they walked like predators.

Jasper didn't respond verbally and instead sent the man some pain that had him immediately doubling over and he would have been screaming as well if Bella hadn't muffled it with her hand.

"Welcome to your worst nightmare," Bella whispered immediately biting into his neck and taking a deep drink. The man struggled at first but soon his heart slowed and then stopped altogether.

Bella licked her lips and drew one of her fingernails across the man's throat leaving a long slash that looked just like a knife wound. The idea was to make it look as if he had been mugged.

"Do you need another?" asked Jasper as the two of them casually walked hand in hand that if anybody was watching it would be assumed they had made up whatever the quarrel had been about.

"Not right now," Bella decided. "Let's do some dancing first and then maybe a little later I can have another although we probably need to go somewhere else for that so we don't draw attention to ourselves."

Jasper gladly obliged and they went back inside hand in hand and immediately went out to the dance floor where Jasper taught her to dance by encouraging her and leading until she got the hang of it. Pretty soon Bella quit looking at her feet and started to enjoy herself.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Ready for a snack?" asked Jasper after several hours of dancing without stopping.

"Yes," Bella answered. "I am starting to get a little thirsty." Jasper nodded and then led Bella out of the club and away from so many ears.

"That is to be expected, you are after all still a newborn and with all the physical activity I'm not really surprised that you are thirsty again. I want you to know though that you are doing extremely well and you are only four days old."

"How?" asked Bella and Jasper felt her embarrassment at the praise as he knew she was not used to receiving it. Well that stopped here and now as he was going to praise and compliment her often until she was used to receiving them for her accomplishments and she stopped getting embarrassed every time somebody praised her. His Isabella was so introverted due to her lack of seeing herself as anything but a burden to everyone instead of the strong independent woman she was and he knew that her own mother was largely the reason she hated being complimented. Jasper had already thought of killing his mate's mother on several occasions, in fact it had entered his mind every time Bella got embarrassed when she was complimented or when her self-esteem became an issue in certain conversations and situations. Both him and Bella were already planning on how best to kill her mother and her stepfather just for leaving her hanging at the hospital when her father died in surgery.

"What do you mean?" asked Jasper knowing what she meant but wanting her to elaborate.

Bella looked at him and rolled her eyes as if to say she knew what he was up to but elaborated anyway, "How am I doing well?"

"Well for one thing I never would have taken you to a club this soon if I didn't think you could handle it. I wouldn't let most newborns near that many humans and all those beating hearts and the smell of blood if I didn't want a massacre," Jasper answered immediately looking grim. "Of course as I've explained before most newborns are changed under violent circumstances and even though you almost died after you jumped out that window you still knew and had accepted becoming a vampire so that seems to have made a huge difference. Also you are much more rational then most newborns are during their first year. You can actually hold an intelligent conversation and all most newborns think about is feeding and try to deal with all the changes that come with being a vampire which so far you haven't had a problem with, well, other then breaking a few doorknobs," he added with a chuckle.

Bella shrugged her embarrassment plain even if she couldn't blush anymore.

"There's no reason the be embarrassed, Bella," said Jasper giving her a little hug sending her his pride. "I'm actually surprised that you haven't broken more then that. You seem to be aware of your strength and always remember to be careful whenever you touch something."

"Can I ask you something personal?" asked Bella after a moment, so quietly that there was no way a human could hear the words of the conversation ignoring the praise entirely.

The volume and tone of her Bella's voice immediately alerted Jasper that she was going to ask him something about vampires and she didn't want anyone to overhear, "You can ask me anything darlin', you know that, even something personal and I'll answer it as best I can."

"What's the difference between drinking human blood and and animal blood?"

Jasper looked surprised at the question but then even as a human Bella had been able to throw him for a loop by asking the question that he least expected. "Well it's kind of hard to explain," said Jasper thoughtfully. "All right, imagine if you were still human."

"Okay," said Bella with a raised eyebrow.

"Now you ate ordinary steak as a human right?"

Bella nodded.

"And you remember what it tasted like?"

Again Bella nodded wondering where Jasper was going with his questions.

"Now did you ever eat filet mignon?"  
"Just once when I took my dad out to dinner for his birthday," said Bella.

"And you also remember what it tasted like, right?"

Bella nodded for the third time but also said, "Yes."

"Now imagine the difference in taste and quality between between an ordinary steak and filet mignon, which one is better?"

"The filet mignon," Bella answered immediately.

"Now imagine that human blood was filet mignon and animal blood was your run-of-the-mill ordinary steak which one would you rather have night after night or year after year especially if it was all your body could consume and process?"

"The filet mignon," said Bella her eyes lighting up with understanding. "So you are saying that human blood is way better then animal blood?"

"Yes we can live off animal blood it is true but it doesn't entirely take away the thirst and it tastes nasty especially if they are herbivores. No matter how much you drink there is always a slight burn in the back of your throat which is hard to learn to ignore, but possible."

"While with human blood there is no burn at all at least until you get hungry again," said Bella in understanding.

"That's it exactly," said Jasper pleased that Bella understood what he was trying to say. "For the first time in more than sixty years I feel full and I not only feel full I have better control then I ever did drinking animal blood and I can be around humans without fear of attacking them so long as I am well fed beforehand. It's like being in the desert where there is no water and then suddenly crawling out of it and into a lush, green area on your hands and knees and finding a river or a lake. It seems like a mirage until you actually drink from it and realize it is real."

"I see," said Bella in understanding her respect for Jasper growing.

"Now for someone like Carlisle who never tasted human blood in his three hundred plus years and because drinking animal blood was all he knew it was probably a little easier to learn to ignore that slight burning. Now you take someone like me who was changed so he could fight in a vampire war for territory and he was told that humans were his food source and he didn't think anything of it other then the fact that it made him feel guilty and depressed because he could feel their emotions as he was drinking them. Now imagine that he drank from innocent humans for almost a hundred years before he learned there was another way of surviving."

"It must have been hard to go from suddenly having filet mignon every night for nine decades to eating ordinary steak," said Bella as she imagined how she would feel if she was suddenly denied her natural food source and told that animal blood was the better option or maybe a better analogy in Jasper's case was he denied himself from eating filet mignon and decided to eat ordinary steak for awhile.

"This all goes back to my feelings of guilt and depression every time I just grabbed an innocent person and fed on them. I never thought about the fact that I could go after criminals and not feel the guilt or the depression associated from feeding off someone innocent."

"I'm proud of you Jasper Whitlock and I love you with every ounce of feeling in my soul and in my unbeating heart," said Bella giving him a kiss that held all of her love and devotion while also sending him, her love in an unending stream.

"We had better stop this or I am going to make love to you right here and now is not the time or place," Jasper whispered harshly his voice thick with his need and passion. "Besides you need to get your snack and I might as well feed as well so I won't have to go hunting again for a while as I'll need all the energy I can get for what I have planned and so will you," Jasper said with that sexy smirk that nearly drove Bella wild with desire every time she saw it. She was already hoping that that smirk was reserved just for her as she didn't want any other women getting any ideas that they had a chance with her Jasper because they didn't. He was hers and hers alone.

"Let's go then," said Bella grabbing Jasper's hand, dragging him along. "I'm ready to get home and when we do we aren't going to leave the bed until it is time to feed again if I have anything to say about it."

"I have no problem with that at all," said Jasper laughing at Bella's enthusiasm, delighted in the fact that his Bella had turned into a sex crazy goddess ever since they had first made love. It was nice to know that she enjoyed making love as much as he did and that she loved him for who he was and unlike Alice wouldn't try to change him.

"I didn't think you would," said Bella with a sexy smirk that immediately made Jasper want to pin his mate against the wall and make love to her right there, but he resisted somehow.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Remember you were going to tell me why you hated kidnappers so much," Jasper reminded his mate as soon as they had gotten out of their dirty clothes after getting back from hunting.

"I remember," said Bella. "Why don't we take a bath and I'll tell you all about it."

Jasper nodded and went to fill up the bathtub which was one of those sunken into the floor and was big enough for at least four people. It also had whirlpool capabilities and was almost like a sauna as the water could be gotten so hot that steam would rise from it. It had been one of the things that Alice had insisted on when they had bought the house, well that and her quadruple sized wardrobe. Of course he and Alice had never used the tub together as Alice couldn't stand looking at his scars and so he had only used it maybe three times in all the years the Cullens had owned this house.

"Tub is filled," Jasper called from the bathroom where steam was already issuing out the open door.

Bella didn't reply verbally but instead sauntered into the bathroom buck naked and even through the steam she saw Jasper's eyes go from the deep red of freshly fed to black as he saw the sight of his mate's naked body even through the clouds of steam.

"Now what were we going to discuss," Bella murmured as she sauntered sexily up to her mate and gave him a kiss that would have stopped his heart if it had still been beating.

"That discussion can wait," Jasper growled as he gently lifted Bella into his arms letting her feel his already stiff erection and then walking down the steps into the sunken tub.

Bella looked into Jasper's eyes and then slowly, but tenderly began to caress him all over his chest never taking her eyes from his so he could see how much she wanted and desired him. Finally she leaned down and kissed his neck right where the mating mark was and slowly licked it and then worked her way down his chest. Jasper groaned and responded instantly leaving his own trail of open mouth kisses over every part of Bella's gorgeous and sexy body that he could reach until he finally reached her pussy which he gladly stuck his tongue into licking up every bit of his mate's arousal, not seeming to care that it was underwater. While he used his tongue to do wicked things to her, he also used one of his hands to pinch and massage one of her nipples. Bella purred and wound her hands into Jasper's long blond hair tugging at the strands trying to prevent herself from coming quite so soon, as her body bucked so hard at Jasper's ministrations that she splashed water everywhere.

Bella panted and could feel the pressure building and she knew it wouldn't be long before she came and this was just from the sensation of his tongue stimulating her clit and also licking up her wetness. The things Jasper could make her feel with just his fingers and tongue were so extraordinary that she knew she would never get tired of the sensations or the things he could make her feel simply from touching or caressing her.

Finally Jasper stuck one finger in and then two rubbing her clit again making Bella scream, "Jasper!" as her orgasm exploded and she came all over his fingers.

By the time she came back down Jasper was looking at her his eyes still black with passion and need his penis still standing stiff and straight.

"I want you so bad, Isabella," Jasper growled sending her his lust, love and desire.

"So take me, cowboy. You know you don't even have to ask, I'm yours until the end of time, just like you are mine," Bella panted huskily looking directly into his eyes, her voice filled with need and passion. She was already wet and ready for him again.

Jasper gave a low growl and gently laid his mate down on the tiled floor beside the tub and positioning himself at her entrance entering her slowly at first and then faster while one of Bella's hands gripped his hair and the other caressed his back.

"More! Harder!" Bella ordered her mate who responded with alacrity and rammed the general into her body again and again until they both reached their climaxes at the same time.

Jasper slammed the general home a few more times at his Bella's command and it wasn't long before he released inside her body. Every time he rammed his member into his mate's body he felt like he had come home and that feeling just intensified every time they made love.

Both came down from their orgasms it and simply held each other their lust satisfied for now.

"So you were going to tell me why you ate kidnappers so much?" Jasper questioned after a few minutes of contented silence as he held Bella on his lap her head on his shoulder.

"Well," said Bella idly playing with a piece of Jasper's hair. "I was twelve and I had this friend Melissa, she was the only friend I had ever had as she didn't care what everybody said about me. I was picked on just because I did well in class and because I was much more mature then most of the other students. Anyway Mel and I were inseparable and did everything together, well when I wasn't to busy taking care of the house or paying the bills. I was just fourteen when Mel's parents got a divorce and the courts decreed that Melissa was to live with her mother. I was so happy that Mel and I could still be friends although I was sad that her parents had gotten divorced. It was just a few months after that that Melissa was kidnapped as she was walking home from school. Usually I walked with her but I had gotten held up by one of the teachers and Mel must have just decided to walk home alone. It wasn't until months later that I found out it was her father that had kidnapped her as he was not happy with the court ruling and that Mel had run away and been raped and killed."

Jasper listened as Bella recounted what had happened to the only close friend she had ever had and his long dead heart broke for her and the pain she had been put through.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you," said Jasper putting his arms around her and hugging her closely to him.

"It was a long time ago," said Bella her voice muffled against Jasper's chest.

"It doesn't matter, that kind of pain doesn't ever really go away. It might become muted with time but when you love someone as much as you loved Melissa and then you lose them for whatever reason the pain is always there," said Jasper. "And you've never really grieved for her have you? You've never allowed yourself to grieve for the person you lost so that you could heal and it has been a gaping wound all this time. You grieved for your father and for your other best friend Jake but at the time they were killed you had a support system that could help your through your grief but when Melissa was killed you had no one you could talk to."

"No, I never even cried when I found out, Melissa had been murdered I was just kind of numb for months afterwards, but you know talking about it for the first time ever has helped me close that chapter in my life."

"That's understandable," Jasper told her gently brushing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. "After all most of the time talking about something helps you to grieve and put it into perspective, but you never had anyone you trusted enough to really confide in. Your mother wasn't an option," Jasper said and Bella snorted at the thought of talking to her mother about something like that, "and you didn't have any other adult you could confide in like you did when your father and Jacob were killed, so you have been holding it all this time and instead of the wound healing it has just been there, a burden, that you have been bearing alone."

"I feel lighter after getting that off my chest," said Bella, "But I still hate kidnappers and also rapists for what they did to my best friend. It doesn't matter that the kidnapper was Mel's father, he still took her away from her mother without a by your leave or even trying to get visitation rights. Because of him and because of the fact that Melissa didn't want to be there she ran away trying to get home, but got killed instead."

"Of course you feel lighter, because you finally have someone who understands what you've been through and talked about it which does help as you should already know since you had almost finished grieving for your father and best friend and I bet you felt lighter afterwards didn't you?" said Jasper.

"Yes, I did feel lighter as you and the rest of the family helped me work through my feelings of grief for Charlie's and Jacob's senseless deaths. I had almost put their deaths behind me when fuckwad set the house on fire. Until now though, as you said I never had anyone to talk to about Mel's death and I feel a lot better now that I have finally told someone about what happened to her, so thank you for listening, Jasper," said Bella sending him, her gratitude. "Just being able to tell somebody about what happened to Mel makes me feel loads better."

"I'll always be here when you need to talk," Jasper assured her giving her a long, heartfelt, passionate kiss.

"I know, I know," Bella murmured burying her head back into Jasper's chest, breathing in his scent and hugging him tightly.

And that was how they spent the next few hours just talking with Jasper rubbing his mate's back soothingly.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Bella, will you take a walk with me?" asked Jasper as she came downstairs to find Bella on the couch reading a book. When Rose had into the house after the fire she hadn't thought about seeing if any of the books or other valuables had survived, but had just gathered some essentials, clothes, the few pictures of Bella's and other mementos that had survived. That Rose had been thinking of her at the time she was going though the house made Bella feel warm all over and she had hugged her being really careful not to use to much strength and thanked her for Rose had managed to save a few pictures of her father and grandmother and a few of her father's favorite mementos.

More had survived the fire then any of them had the right to expect. As for the books they had been ordered off and delivered to a post office box and Emmett had been happy to pick them up for both Jasper and Bella.

"Sure," Bella agreed rising from the couch putting her book aside not even bothering with a bookmark as she now had a perfect memory and so could remember the page number.

Bella took Jasper's hand in hers and he brought it to his lips to gave it a kiss before they headed out the front door hand in hand.

"It's so beautiful out here," Bella marveled as she looked at the forest that was not to far from their house which made sense she supposed as the Cullens would have wanted a good sized forest not to far from their home so they could hunt when they had to.

Bella continued to look out over the beautiful landscape and observed all the ice snow and other wonders that were practically right outside the door of the Cullen house.

"Yes it is," Jasper agreed but instead of looking at the landscape he was looking at his mate and gazing at her as if she was the most beautiful and gorgeous thing in the whole world.

When Bella noticed the direction of his gaze to looked down embarrassed and even though she couldn't blush anymore she could still look and feel embarrassment. "You are looking at me like I'm some kind of precious jewel that is the most valuable thing in the world," said Bella.

"To me you are," Jasper said leaning over and kissing his mate's cheek. "I have lived a long time alone and even after I met Alice, she did not make me feel complete, like I had finally found the other half of my soul, like you do. If Alice had died and I hadn't already found you I would have survived even though I won't deny that I would have grieved for awhile, but if I lost you it would be different and I would find a way to end my existence. There is a very large, gap sized difference between finding someone to spend a few decades with and finding the person that you are meant to spend eternity with."

They were both silent for a while each just walking holding hands and enjoying the beauty and the silence that surrounded them.

Bella looked out over the distance seeming contemplative.

"Bella, you have to quit doubting how I feel about you," said Jasper grabbing Bella by the shoulders and turning her to face him so he could look her in the eyes when he felt her old emotions of insecurity, unworthiness, patheticness and inadequacy. "I would not have turned just anyone into a vampire no matter if it was what they said they wanted or not, for it can be a hard life in a lot of ways, especially now that we are all drinking human blood."

"How?" asked Bella.

"Isolation for one thing, never a chance to make friends and do things that normal people do. Never being able to go outside on a sunny day unless you are in an isolated location. Always having most people avoid us, never having a chance to have a regular job or to be able to grow older, mature and change. Sure vampires can mature but it is a very difficult thing to do for most of our kind. Never being able to have children to carry on your name, never being able to enjoy eating all the different human foods this world has to offer. Having to drink blood in order to survive and killing either animals or humans in order to get the substance we need to live. There are a lot of downsides, to being one of our kind."

"I don't consider most of those things you mentioned downsides," said Bella breaking out of her contemplative mood her feelings disappearing in order to reassure her mate that this was the life she had wanted. "One: I've never been normal and had any friends to begin with well all except for Jake and Melissa. Two: Living in a sunny place is overrated as I did move to Forks after all which is one of the cloudiest, rainiest towns in the world. Three: In a way I've always been isolated just by being different and besides I've always been more comfortable being by myself and now with you. Four: I never wanted children to begin with. Five: Eating is overrated and sure our kind has to drink blood to survive, but on the other hand we get a chance to do what few people do and that is to rid of the world of the pieces of scum that hurt innocent people. Six: Having a nine to five job isn't all it's cracked up to be, always struggling to pay the bills, put food on the table and just survive. I won't deny having the experience of working that kind of job would have been good but I do remember working at Newton outfitters so I do have some working experience even if it was only a couple days a week. Seven: And finally what's the point of growing older, learning, growing, maturing if you don't have anybody to share it with? To share your joys, your sorrows, your triumphs or your troubles? Being alone is all well and good but everybody needs someone whether is is a boyfriend, a wife, a son, a daughter, a husband, a sister, a brother, a friend, or a parent to talk to and to share their accomplishments or just every day with. I never had anyone to share my triumphs, troubles, sorrows, joys or accomplishments with once Melissa was murdered until I met you that is," Bella said turning and giving him a kiss on the nose.

Jasper contemplated his mate's words for a few minutes looking off into the distance seeming thoughtful. "You're right," Jasper finally agreed.

"I'm actually right about something? Shock, amazement," said Bella trying to appear astonished, widening her eyes as much as possible, her mouth in the shape of an O.

Jasper laughed and his mate's antics then sobered.

"I'm not denying all those things you said are true," Bella told him quietly, "but I would rather be one of the undead and spend everyday with you then remain human and either not ever meet you and therefore live my life alone, or spend my human years with you only to die and then watch from heaven as you kill yourself because I was gone. So I choose option three and that is to be like you so we can spend everyday living our lives, loving each other. What's the point of even being born if you never find love, whether that is just the love of a friend, a family member or a romantic love or if you are very lucky and fortunate, all three. We can't keep thinking about what could have been if we were both human and still discovered each other."

"You're right," Jasper acknowledged then said with humor lacing his voice, "How did we go from me trying to talk you out of your negative feelings to you comforting and reassuring me?"

"That's what a relationship is all about and you O Wise One, you should know that, as you are after all as old as the hills," Bella teased her mate.

"I am not that old," Jasper said pretending to be offended, but the humor of the statement prevented him.

"Oh, yes, you are as old as Methuselah," said Bella teasingly. "We should probably get you a rocking chair since you are so old that you could fall asleep standing up."

"I am not almost a thousand years old," Jasper exclaimed pretending to be insulted.

"A thousand?" asked Bella cocking her head.

"Didn't you know that Methuselah was according to the bible 969 years old when he passed away supposedly just seven days before the great flood that destroyed all, but a few of the human race? I have over eight centuries to go before I reach Methuselah's age."

Bella seemed to think about this for a moment then said, "Well that doesn't mean you aren't still pretty old, after all you were born before radios, televisions, computers, and MP3 players were invented."

"Well not really radios so much as they already were in the process of being invented by the time I was born but the rest of the things you mentioned sure, but that doesn't mean I'm that old."

"If you were human you would have been dead for probably at least seventy-five or eighty years at this point, so even if you aren't 969 you are still pretty old. Not that I really care, as I just love older men, much, much older men," said Bella with a smirk looking directly into the eyes of her mate.

"It had better be me and only me you are thinking about, my mate," Jasper mock growled taking Bella into his arms and holding her against him. "If you are thinking about any other older man I will simply have to go find him and kill him. I am the only one you are allowed to think about in that way."

"In what way?" inquired Bella innocently batting her eyelashes coquettishly.

"As if you don't know," Jasper growled more seriously hugging Bella even tighter against him causing her to sigh contentedly put her head on his shoulder and nestle against his chest. It just felt so right to be here in the arms of the love of her life that she never wanted to move.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Bella told him as innocently as she could trying to contain not only her laughter but to keep her emotions under control so Jasper wouldn't sense her amusement.

"You know very well what I am talking about, Miss Swan," Jasper told her seriously shaking a finger at her. "If I ever catch you looking or feeling love towards another man the same way you feel about me I will tear him apart until there's not enough left to even think about identifying him much less enough to fill a coffin and that's a promise. And you know I'm not talking about the sisterly love, like you feel for Emmett either but romantic love."

"No man on this planet could ever compare to you," Bella assured him her humor vanishing at the seriousness of her mate's tone for somehow he had gone from being her Jasper to being The Major all in the space of a few seconds. Bella leaned over and on her tiptoes gave him a heart melting, passionate kiss. "I was only trying to tease you a little."

"Don't ever tease about your love for me," The Major ordered her seriously while also tenderly running one hand through her hair the other holding her gently against his chest letting her know without words that he still loved her and always would. "I would hate to kill someone and find out later that you didn't have any feelings for them at all. Not only would I feel guilty I would have to punish you and I don't ever want to have to do that as it would hurt both of us."

"I won't," Bella promised seriously and solemnly shaken that she had caused the love of her existence to doubt her feelings for him. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about. No mere human man could compare to my handsome, loving, gentle, tender vampire, whom I love and adore more then I've ever loved anyone. It doesn't matter to me that you are both my Jasper and The Major in one body. I love both sides of your personality and nothing can ever change that."

"I love you to, always," The Major told her as he leaned down and kissed her hair reverently. "I will love you until I meet my death wherever or whenever that will be."

"Let's hope that never happens because if you die, I die. I never meant to make you doubt my love for you."

"It's okay," said Jasper back to being the man she loved. "I'm sorry about The Major emerging like that, I usually keep him well caged, but ever since we found out we were mates, I discovered that, that side of my personality was very protective of you. He tends to come out whenever he feels something threatens you, whether that is a true danger or you just teasing me a little about your love for me. When that happens I can't seem to keep him locked away like I used to."

"I think it's because The Major part of your personality has never really loved anyone. That part of you was made for war and positive emotions don't really enter into that kind of environment. It's not like your creator encouraged feelings like love, tenderness, happiness or caring," Bella said sardonically.

"On no, Maria wanted all her soldiers as greedy, uncooperative, angry and as unhappy as possible. She thought it would encourage them to fight harder so they would get a bigger share of the loot. A lot were killed in those skirmishes and by the end of the day I always had to create more newborns."

"You'll have to excuse me, but your creator sounds insane."

"She was, trust me," said Jasper not in the least offended. "I have loved before and yet I never had any trouble keeping The Major caged until I met you and discovered we were mates," Jasper added going back to Bella's comments a few minutes ago as they had gotten a bit sidetracked talking about Maria.

"I won't deny that you loved the Cullens, well all except for fuckwad. You could have continued in this existence if they had all died in that fire but you have told me yourself more then once that you would not continue to live without me which is why I think whenever something threatens me, even me joking about other men that The Major emerges from where you keep him caged to deal with the situation whatever it may be."

Jasper thought about that then said in agreement, "I believe you may be right. The Major part of my personality doesn't want to die anymore then I do. When did you get to know how The Major thinks so well, especially since you've only met him once back when Eddie attacked you."

"Well I just tried to think what I would do if I had two distinct parts to my personality and the love of my existence was in danger or even if they were just joking about loving someone else romantically. If it was me and you joked or teased me about loving someone else I would want to tear whoever it was apart and not just apart but into teeny, tiny pieces so that by the time I was done there wouldn't be enough left to fill a thimble much less a coffin."

"That's it exactly," Jasper said giving Bella a hug while sending her his pride.

"I love you so much and not just the part that is Jasper but the part that is The Major as well."

"I know and nobody has ever loved both sides of me or even understood that there was two sides to my personality. There is the side that is humorous, tender, caring, gentle, and can love, but then there is The Major who was created for war and all he usually feels is every negative emotion out there until he met you that is. You bring out the positive, caring side of him, which is not something I had ever thought I would see happen. If it had been anyone else I guarantee you he would have been a lot rougher when he made his demand but he also acknowledged that you were his mate and therefore you required him to be as gentle as he could be as he didn't want you to ever be scared of him."

"I could never be scared of you or him," Bella said leaning her head against Jasper's shoulder with a sigh if contentment. "I know that The Major would never hurt me, even if I do someday make him mad at me for whatever reason he would still never permanently do me any damage. I'm not saying he wouldn't scare me if he thought it was necessary but being scared, not necessarily of him but of the fact that I caused him to fear for me is not something I ever want to see happen. When you love someone as much as we love each other you do everything in your power to keep them safe, even if that means letting your demon out."

Jasper kissed the top of Bella's head and knew she was spot on where it concerned that part of him.

They sat in silence for a while not needing to say anything in order to be comfortable with each other.

"Bella the reason I brought you out here originally before we got involved with our discussion was I wanted to give you something," Jasper said after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Jasper you didn't need to get me anything at all. The greatest gift I have ever received was being not only alive after what happened at the Cullen mansion, but here with you."

"Well, I still got you a little something for on this day six months ago we found out we were meant to be together for all time. On that day, the day I told you we were meant to be mates and you accepted it and me so easily, was the day you made me happier then I have ever been in my very long existence and so in acknowledgement of that day you changed my life for the better I wanted to get you a little gift," said Jasper taking a jewelry box out of his pocket and presented it to her like a knight presenting his lady with a token of his esteem. Bella softened as she watched Jasper get down on one knee and hold out the box for her to take.

Bella took the box and Jasper watched in anticipation from where he was still kneeling as she opened the lid and just stared at the necklace nestled within in stunned silence.

"It's beautiful," said Bella taking out the gold puffed heart shaped necklace with a blue sapphire in the center which she knew without even having to ask that it was real gold and sapphires and that it was not costume jewelry. The chain was also real gold and just long enough that Bella knew that it would hang between her breasts which she was sure Jasper had intended knowing him.

"Here let me put it on you," said Jasper rising to his feet and taking the necklace from Bella and going behind draping the heart over her head and then closing the clasp.

When Jasper let the necklace go it draped right between her breasts just like Bella knew it would.

"Thank you, Jasper, you are to good to me."

"Never," Jasper denied giving her a kiss. "This is just a very small token of my affections and expect more of the same over the centuries we are together."

"But I didn't get you anything," said Bella looking at the heart and stroking it which pleased Jasper as he knew she liked it although she was upset that she hadn't gotten him anything even though she hadn't known he was going to give her something.

"I'm glad you like it," said Jasper.

"Like it no," Bella teased throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him ardently while pouring every bit of passion, love, adoration, desire and lust into that one heartstopping kiss, "Love, it and you, yes."

"Wow!" said Jasper shaking his head as if to clear it when they finally broke apart. "I'll give you gifts every day of the year if you'll kiss me like that everytime you receive one."

"I'll kiss you like that every day of our existence and you don't have to get me a gift to receive it."

"Deal. I love you," said Jasper kissing her forehead.

"And I love you," said Bella kissing him again.

End Flashback

"You know I've been thinking," said Bella as she and Jasper laid together after have made love.

"What about?" asked Jasper.

"Do you think it would be possible to go to a real college and not just over the internet?"

"What brought this on?" He wondered if she had overheard him and Char talking about it just over a week ago. Jasper checked her emotions but there was nothing in them to indicate that she had as he would have expected anger and maybe betrayal at being discussed behind her back. Instead all he sensed was a deep love and contentment as she lay on her side with her head on his chest, curled up almost like a cat.

"Well I've been thinking that I do so well around humans that it would be nice to actually go sit in a classroom and interact with other people. I know I've taken courses over the internet, but it just isn't quite the same, you know? I've been thinking about it for a while and if we can work out the logistics that is what I would like to do."

Jasper kept a mental eye on her emotions, but the only thing they indicated was truthfulness and so he supposed it was just a coincidence even though he didn't normally believe in such things so he said, "Well it's true you do well around humans and you wouldn't have to be in classes all day. You could take two or three classes a day depending on length of course and that might make it take longer for you to graduate but that doesn't really matter and it would limit the amount of time you were near temptation or the time we had to be apart."

"We would have to make sure I was well fed beforehand," Bella mused thoughtfully. "I would have to wear contacts which are a pain in the ass as not only can I see every little imperfection in them they would need to be changed every few hours thanks to our venom that will dissolve them."

"If you do this being away from you for even a few hours is going to be hell," said Jasper. "We haven't been apart for any length of time since we found out we were mates well except when you went shopping with one of your girlfriends. When you do go shopping it isn't that often but if you do go and take some courses it won't be just a once in a while thing but five days a week."

"I know, but I think this is something I need to do, as well as something I've been wanting to try but we're always so busy with working for the Volturi that I never had a chance to even suggest it," said Bella raising her head and running her nose along Jasper's neck taking in his delicious, intoxicating scent, as well as placing little kisses which caused Jasper to groan with desire.

"That's true enough," said Jasper as soon as he had gotten himself under control. "We would also need to retire at the end of our current contract with the Volturi so that we don't get called away on a mission while you are going to school."

"We've been thinking about doing that anyway," Bella pointed out.

"We have," Jasper agreed. "If this is what you want then we'll see if it's possible, but I'm not looking forward to being apart from you even for a few hours."

"I'll miss you to," Bella assured him giving him a kiss on his chin. "You could also take some classes and that way if you are busy maybe you wouldn't miss me quite as much," Bella pointed out after a moment.

Jasper made a face at the thought of attending college yet again. "Haven't I been through school enough? I mean not only did I attend high school again and again while I lived with the Cullens, but also college right afterwards. You try being around all those humans all day, five days a week with the smell of the blood that flows in their veins. It was shear torture being around so many humans then and it will probably be the same this time around."

"It was just a suggestion," Bella snickered at her husband's expression although she could also sympathize as even although she did well around humans that didn't mean it wasn't hard to ignore their delicious scents, especially when a whole lot of them were congregated close together...like in a store for instance or the fact that to her or any other vampire at least their skin was practically translucent and she could see the veins beneath. She had often thought how easy it would be to rip their skin with just her fingernail and drink up their delicious blood as it poured from the wound. "And besides you were drinking animal blood back then and didn't have as much control as you do today."

"That's true enough," Jasper admitted his expression thoughtful having to remind himself that Bella needed to have some independence even if that meant being apart. "I'll think about it. So where would you like to go to college if we can manage to work out all the little problems?"

"Well there's a very good college right here," said Bella. "They have a good language and literature program and that way we wouldn't have to move and it isn't all that far away, well not at the speed we drive anyway."

They were living back in the States and had been for ten years after having lived in Switzerland for almost thirty and several other places over the years.

"You know I don't believe that one of our kind has ever attended college before, well those that feed of humans anyways," Jasper quickly amended. "I'm pretty sure that he Cullens were unique in the vampire world for not only drinking animal blood but for living like humans, attending school and things like that."

"Didn't you mention another vegetation coven?" asked Bella.

"Yes, the Denali's but vegetation vampires are still pretty unique amongst our kind as besides the Cullens before Carlisle, Esme and Alice were killed the two families were the only two I knew about who drank from animals instead of humans. There might be the odd lone vampire out there that does but if there is I have never met them or even heard about them. It would never even occur to most of our kind to try drinking from animals instead of humans."

"It did to Carlisle," Bella pointed out that old pain rearing it's ugly head for even after a hundred years it was still painful when she thought about Carlisle's, Esme's and Alice's deaths and she knew it probably always would be for she had loved them just as much, if not more then she loved her father and thinking about Charlie was sill very painful even though it was a century since his death.

"Well as I've told you before Carlisle always believed that certain traits were augmented after the change and as a human Carlisle was very compassionate and that just intensified afterwards. Carlisle truly, deeply cared about people, even scum, which is why when he discovered a way to feed without killing humans he was so relieved. As for me the charisma I had as a human was augmented and turned into my empathic ability."

"And Alice's had visions of the future," said Bella.

"Which she more than likely had a human although they probably weren't as clear or as strong as after she was turned. I've often thought that if she did have visions as a human and her parents discovered it, it was probably what got her thrown into that insane asylum where she was discovered by James and lost her memories."

What about Esme and Rosalie? What traits of theirs was augmented?"

"Well for Rosalie it was her beauty," said Jasper. "Rose is gorgeous even for one of our kind and Esme it was her kindness and motherly ways."

"Then of course there's me who had a shield even as a human as it was why Edward could never hear my thoughts, although I had no control over it and as a vampire that talent is even stronger and now I can use it to protect other people."

"Anyway as I was saying about the Denali's," said Jasper going back to the original subject. "The Denali's do drink animal blood, but even they don't live like the Cullens did by going to school or interacting with humans or at least not as much. Carlisle and Esme thrived on human contact while the Denali's live miles from civilization and as far as I know except for shopping they live totally isolated."

"Shopping my least favorite word in the English language," Bella snorted.

"Well let me help you forget all about shopping," Jasper said his voice seductive and he was on top of her in half a second and pushing the general into her at incredible speed that would have been impossible if he hadn't been a vampire.

Bella moaned and purred thrusting her hips up to meet his thrusts all the time thinking that if Jasper had done this to her while she had been human if she hadn't died from the force and speed of his thrusts she would have from not only the feelings coursing through her because of their intensity, but also of the fact that her orgasm's were so strong and powerful that she was sure her heart if it had been able to beat would have burst out of her chest and taken flight.

"Come for me my mate," Jasper finally commanded softly in Bella's ear and just like always her body recognizing her mate's command responded and her orgasm overtook her so she came screaming Jasper's name. Not more then a second later Jasper followed her over the edge of the abyss that was their passion and love also roaring her name in response.

Flashback

"So you ready?" asked Jasper.

"Yes," said Bella determined.

"Now are you sure you want to do this? There is still time to back out."

They were approaching the entrance to the hotel in Anchorage that had just checked in Renee and Phil Dwyer. Bella had been a vampire almost six months at the point and she was doing so well that Jasper thought it was time to enact the plan they had thought up. At first Bella hadn't wanted to tell Emmett and Rosalie thinking that they would hate her for wanting to kill of her own mother and her stepfather but Jasper had convinced her that they could help and again he had been right as they supported her plan once she had explained to them about how she had grown up and that her mother not showing up at the hospital even when she said she would be there was the last straw in a very long list of wrongs going back as far as she could remember. Rosalie when Bella had finished explaining what she wanted to do had gone on to tell her about how she had become a vampire and what she had done to Royce King and his buddies afterwards. Bella had been in awe after Rose had finished her story and so knew she would understand where she was coming from as for Emmett he was upset that anyone would hurt his little sis so badly and so wholeheartedly supported the plan.

Bella knew that Carlisle and Esme would never have approved of not only her hunting humans but of what she was about to do, but as much as she loved them and always would they were no longer there to try and talk her out of it. Also as much as they denied it and tried to act human except for drinking animal blood vampires were predators and if they had destroyed Edward while they had the chance they might still be alive instead of very dead.

From a certain view point she could understand that they had loved Edward and had not wanted to see him permanently destroyed and there was nothing wrong with showing compassion in most circumstances, but if you looked at Edward as having a disease then you didn't leave that disease to get worse until it overtook the healthy flesh and they had done just that. Perhaps Edward had already been unstable and her breaking up with him was the last straw but it didn't really matter for because of him Esme, Carlisle and Alice were dead and when he was finally brought justice she just hoped that she, Jasper, Rose and Emmett all had a chance to get their revenge on him.

"Yes, I'm ready," said Bella her emotions steady although her voice was a little nervous.

All four of the remaining Cullens that were left and had gone over and over the plan. The plan was simple really. Bella was to go meet her mother and stepfather in their hotel room and then knock them out but not kill them, oh no that was going to come later.

She had convinced her mother that she was going to college in Alaska and then sent her and Phil two plane tickets. Once they had checked in the hotel knew to call and inform her that they had arrived and Jasper was then to grease the palms of the hotel staff and if questioned they were to say that the Dwyers had arrived and checked in but that they hadn't been seen since they had gone out to see some of the sights. No mention of Bella was to be made at all. The other part of Jasper's job was for him to break into the airline computers and change the name on who had actually purchased the tickets to Dwyer instead of Swan. In fact Jasper had gone so far that Renee had never had a daughter at all as he had changed hospital records and erased her birth certificate. He'd even gone so far as to get her a new social security number, birth certificate, ID, driver's license, passport and anything else you would need to start a new life. Her new name in fact was Bella McCarty as she had always hated Isabella had decided to use Emmett's last name for the time being which had thrilled him to bits as he now felt he truly had a little sister. The only person in fact allowed to call her by her full first name and not very possibly lose a limb was her mate as it sounded much better coming from him in his southern drawl then from anybody else.

"Very well then, I'll be waiting right outside on the fire escape and you just call me when you are ready. Be safe."

Bella gave Jasper one last kiss and then entered the hotel by the front door.

Jasper waited a few minutes and then calmly went up the fire escape that was on one side of the hotel. The room the Dwyers had been given was on the same side of the building as the fire escape and this hotel had been chosen specifically because of it. It was going to be how they would get the bodies down to Emmett's jeep which had been loaned to them for the night and was Emmett's way of supporting the plan.

"Jasper," Bella called softly knowing that he would be able to hear her.

Jasper was in the room in a second after Bella had opened the window that led to the fire escape.

"You get Phil," said Bella quietly. "I've got Renee," she added practically spitting the last word.

Jasper obeyed without a word and picked up Phil and as quietly as a cat climbed out the window with the unconscious man slung over his shoulder. Bella immediately followed carrying the woman that had birthed her but could no longer be called her mother.

Once the bodies were in the car both Jasper and Bella reentered the room and looked through the Dwyers luggage.

"I thought there was something a little strange about them," Bella explained quietly. "Renee's attitude seemed off and their scent didn't seem quite right."

"Perhaps they are on drugs?" Jasper speculated quietly. "If they are that might explain why they never showed up at your father's funeral. Drugs can do funny things to you."

"It's a possibility," Bella conceded. "When I was growing up my mother dated a lot of different men. Some of them were nice and respectable while there were a few that could have at least been drug users. It's possible that while I've gone Renee started taking drugs and pulled Phil into it. Renee was always one of those people that would try anything no matter how dangerous it was to her health and I don't know how many times I tried to talk her out of things like that. It's also possible that Phil is the one that pulled her into taking drugs."

"Well looky here," said Bella pulling a bottle out of her mother's suitcase. "Is this what I think it is is or is it some kind of prescription medication?"

Jasper took one of the capsules out of the bottle and took it apart sniffing the powder inside. "It's heroin mixed with something else," said Jasper assuredly. "I recognize the scent although it is combined with something that I am not familiar with."

"Well that explains why Renee looked so off," said Bella with no emotion. "I thought there was something a little odd about the way she was acting. Let's get going as I believe we are done here."

Jasper followed Bella out the window making sure to shut it behind him as to leave no evidence that anybody else had been there.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Half an hour later they arrived back at the house and stopped in front of the double doors that led into the storm cellar or what had used to be a storm cellar as the Cullens had converted it some years ago to store certain valuable objects that they didn't want to get rid of. It was also soundproofed.

"Did you get them?" asked Rose quietly as she met them at the door of the cellar.

"Yes," said Bella.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Rose asked looking concerned. "It's just to do what you are going to do is different from drinking the blood of humans. Drinking blood is how our kind live and the survival instinct is strong, but this on the other hand will be deliberate torture and murder. It might be a fine line between one or the other but there is still a difference."

"Rose I've thought about this a lot in the last six months," said Bella appreciating her sister's concern. "You know what conclusion I've come to?"

"What?" asked Rose with a raised eyebrow her expression neutral.

"That some people deserve what they get," said Bella looking serious. "It just isn't the fact that the woman who gave birth to me left me hanging in the Forks hospital, but as I explained earlier it's about the fact that my mother has always left me hanging. I was never really a child growing up, Renee was more the child then I ever was. It isn't just I was the one who made sure the bills were paid or the fact that I made sure we had decent food, do you know I taught myself to cook before I could even read? Because anything Renee cooked was practically inedible. Or the fact that I always felt out of place as I was so used to taking care of someone that should have been taking care of me, that I grew up fast and I was much more mature then my peers which meant I had absolutely no friends and even if I had I never had much time to try and have fun. Or the fact that I was always having to convince her not to do something either crazy or stupid as it probably would have gotten her killed. Or even the fact that some of Renee's supposed boyfriends tried to rape me and the only reason they never succeeded was because I learned early on how to defend myself. It isn't even the fact that I moved to live with my father when Renee remarried so she and Phil could have their space and she could travel with him. That was probably the best decision I ever made right there, since I might not have met Jasper otherwise and he is my life, but Rose you add all these things up and you know what I discovered? That my mother is a thoughtless, uncaring, bitch who didn't love me or at least not enough to take care of me like a mother should. When she didn't show up at the hospital that was just the very last straw in a very long list of neglect. I had just lost my father, Renee's ex-husband and she couldn't even bother to show up at the funeral to pay her respects and that Rose is when I finally realized she deserves everything I am about to do to her and more."

Rose and Jasper listened as Bella ranted about her mother. The way she talked she must have been keeping all that pain and anger in for a very long time, probably since she was a child and it had all built up until she literally exploded when somebody pushed the wrong button. It was like she had had a thorn in her foot that was causing her pain even if she hadn't realized it and that thorn had suddenly been removed so the wound could finally heal. In fact she was finally acting like a newborn at least in this instance.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper," Bella apologized finally calming down, "but to answer your original question, yes I am sure and I will not feel guilty after I am done."

"We are done," Jasper corrected, "I've been wanting a piece of them to, just for the way they didn't even show up at your father's funeral and now I have even more reason to get in a little revenge for all the times Renee hurt you."

"Don't apologize for losing your temper, Bella," said Rose calmly. "I deserved it for questioning you. I suppose I'm having trouble remembering that you aren't that frail human girl who tripped into a house full of vampires and was more comfortable with them then normal human friends."

"I was more mature then most of the children in school, Rose," Bella snorted, "By the time I came to live with Charlie I preferred spending time with my own thoughts or with a good book. I'm afraid Renee saw to it that I would never be comfortable around people my own age. It didn't help that I was very intelligent and you know how cruel kids can be when you are different, so I had two strikes against me right there and the fact that I was so deathly clumsy didn't help either. Anyway you're forgiven," she added giving her sister a hug. "I know you were just concerned what kind of effect this was going to have on me and I love you for caring enough to speak up, but now you and Emmett had better stay away from the cellar for at least the next two or three days. Oh and tell Emmett I love him too, would you?"

Rose nodded and disappeared into the house.

Once she was gone Bella said looking grim, angry and determined all at the same time, "let's get started shall we?"

Jasper nodded and pulled Bella into his arms and kissed her for a moment. "When we are done with them and we have left their remains for the polar bears know that I will still love you, nothing could make me stop."

"Thanks, I needed that," said Bella laying her head against his chest for a moment before straightening her spine and marching down the cellar steps with Jasper closing the door behind them before following.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Bella entered the room that had been set up turning on the lights and closed the door once Jasper had also entered. Renee and her husband were both laying on the ground still unconscious but were beginning to wake up. "Let the fun begin," growled Bella. "Jasper would you mind?"

Jasper nodded knowing what Bella wanted without her having to say the words and so sent out some pain to wake up their guests. Both Phil and Renee woke up screaming and immediately doubled over in pain as Jasper continued to use his talent on them.

Bella stalked forward with lethal grace making Jasper hard. When Bella reached Renee she grabbed onto the front of her blouse and lifted her until her feet were a few feet off the ground. "Do you know who I am?" she growled her eyes flashing even redder then normal in the low light.

"Bella is that you?" asked Renee not realizing the kind of danger she was in due to the drugs in her system.

"I'm Bella alright, but I am also your death." Renee whimpered as Bella calmly and methodically used her fingernail to carve several thin lines of blood down her cheek and arms and then threw her against the wall hard enough that several bones cracked upon impact.

Bella calmly tasted the blood on her finger not even feeling the normal bloodlust and then stalked towards where she had thrown Renee. Bella calmly unlocked the cage to her demon and felt Jasper do the same, both their eyes immediately turning black.

"Do you know what it was like for me growing up?" asked Bella rhetorically not really expecting an answer. "By the time I was three I had to learn to cook by experimentation because if I hadn't we would have starved," Bella began calmly carving another mark on Renee's opposite cheek with her fingernail. "It's not that I minded that so much, but I did mind the fact that by the time I was seven I was basically taking care of you when you should have been taking care of me!" Bella curved another mark, but this one was on her right breast as Bella had torn her mother's blouse until it was nothing but tatters and her bra had been torn away.

"Bella stop this," Renee begged her voice a whimper as she was in severe pain from the half a dozen cuts and broken bones that Bella had caused. She seemed to be finally waking up to the danger she was in. "You're my daughter. How could you do this to your own mother?"

Bella snorted and tore the slacks off Renee's body and started to calmly carve into her mother's leg's leaving the blood pouring out of the wounds. "Does the name Charlie ring a bell?" she asked as she calmly took one of her mother's hands and bent one of the finger's backwards until it snapped and then tore it off throwing it over into the corner.

Renee moaned and screamed as Bella tore off another one of her fingers and another until she had only one finger on one hand and the thumb on the other. "I can see that it does," Bella added as she saw Renee's recognition of the name. "Now does that answer your question of how I can torture my own flesh and blood...?" Another cut. "Where were you when Charlie was dying?" Another blow, and several of Renee's toes joined the pile of body parts in the corner. "Hm, your blood smells absolutely divine," said Bella licking at the trail of blood that was running down one of her mother's legs, "and you taste even better, despite the drugs in your system," Another cut and blow. "By the way just so you know I stopped being your daughter..." Bella tore a large chunk of Renee's hair out by the roots, causing her to scream even louder then she had when Bella broke her bones or cut her to ribbons, "...the minute that you said you would come to Forks when I called and told you that Charlie was in surgery with bullet wounds and you never showed. You didn't even bother to show up at the funeral to pay your respects," Bella growled creating half a dozen more cuts all over Renee's body and tearing off her thumb on her right hand as well as her toes causing Renee to scream and scream so loud that if the cellar hadn't been soundproofed they would have been able to hear her cries for miles. "You didn't even send me a fucking email telling me you couldn't come so not only did I lose my father that day, but you as well..." Bella tore out one of Renee's eyes scooping it out like it was some kind ball and tearing the nerves that attached the eye to the socket, "...I decided right after Charlie's funeral that you didn't love me..." Renee's right foot joined the other parts in the corner, "...for if you had you would have been there when I needed you, but really when have you ever been? I should have known better then to actually hope that you would be there for me."

"But Bella..." Renee started to beg already having blood pouring out of over a hundred wide and deep cuts, plus the missing limbs and not only that but bruises were beginning to form on Renee's skin as well.

"Don't but Bella me, you no good, selfish, self-centered, bitch," growled Bella releasing a little of her anger for the years of neglect with every blow, cut, slap or torn off body part. Bella slapped Renee so hard that not only did her head snap back but she heard the bones in Renee's cheek pulverize and turn to powder under the blow. Renee's right cheek sagged now that there was no bones to support the skin. "When have you ever been there when I really needed you?" Another blow, this one on the opposite cheek also breaking bones. "Ever since I was small I was always taking care of you..." Another blow. "...when you should have been taking care of me..." This time instead of using the back of her hand Bella simply took a hold of Renee's left hand and twisted it until she heard the bones snap and she also crushed the delicate bones in her fingers just by applying a little pressure. "...I was the child after all and it..." Bella started to carve into her mother's vagina until it was soon covered in blood and Renee was screaming louder then ever as the vagina on most women was very sensitive and therefore it was more painful then most other places on the body, "...should have been you taking care of me," she added tearing off one of her mother's ears but leaving the other so she could still hear.

Her demon growled in pleasure as Renee whimpered in severe pain. "Were you there when several of your boyfriends tried to rape me?" Bella demanded this time taking her left foot and twisting it savagely until she heard bones snapping. Her demon howled her pleasure at Bella's actions while Renee screamed in pain. "And what made it even worse was that you always believed them over me..." another joint twisted until it was broken, this time an arm... "your own daughter and after all I had done to take care of you."

"But do you know the final straw for me?" asked Bella as she savagely took the other arm and twisted it at the joint until it also snapped. "The final straw for me was when I finally realized what a bitch you are..." said Bella finally becoming so angry that she actually ripped off one of Renee's legs at the kneecap completely off with just a little exerted strength throwing it aside ignoring the blood that was pouring out of the wound, "...and that you had never been there for me, not once when I really needed you." Bella spat venom onto the bleeding wound and Renee whimpered again unable to scream having mostly lost her voice by this time.

"I was left to basically grow up..." said Bella tearing off an arm this time watching dispassionately as even more blood poured out of Renee's body, "...by myself." Bella was actually surprised that her former mother, the woman who had given birth to her was still conscious much less still alive, but with the amount of blood pouring out of Renee's wounds she wouldn't be conscious much less alive much longer.

"What are you?" asked Renee weakly having lost so much blood at this point that she was only barely conscious.

"I am your worst nightmare," Bella whispered in her ear. "I am a vampire. I suppose in a way I should thank you for if you hadn't gotten remarried and I hadn't come to Forks I might not have ever met this amazing man over on the other side of the room and that right there is the only thing I will ever be grateful to you for. Jasper, would you care to get your licks in before she's gone completely?" asked Bella after finishing her little speech.

"Thanks darlin'," said Jasper in appreciation tossing Phil aside as if he meant nothing.

"So is Phil still alive?" asked Bella nonchalantly as she looked over at the crumpled heap in the corner.

"Yes ma'am," Jasper answered in a drawl as he used his teeth on Renee tearing into her skin.

"Hm," said Bella walking over to the crumpled heap that was Phil Dwyer. "Do you mind if I have my shot at him?" asked Bella.

"Go ahead I'm done with him," said Jasper as he was playing with Renee.

"Thanks, cowboy," said Bella blowing him a kiss before turning to Phil and picking him up casually.

"Why are you doing this?" Phil whimpered and Bella was surprised he was still conscious as like Renee he had lost several limbs and had wounds all over his body from Jasper's fingernails.

"You want to know why, you asshole?" snarled Bella so ferociously that Phil tried to shrink back in fear but couldn't move more then a few inches with Bella's grip on his shirt. "I'll tell you who why you fucking piece of shit!" Bella roared so loud that if the room hadn't been soundproofed Rose and Emmett would have been able to hear them in the house. "Where were you when Charlie died in the hospital...?" Bella punctuated her statement with a blow so hard that Phil's head not only snapped back but his jaw was dislocated. "You said you were coming and yet you didn't even have the decency to call and tell me you couldn't make it?" This time Bella tore off his one remaining leg after making sure to crush the bones in his foot and the toes as well causing him as much pain as possible. "I went to live with my father so that you and Renee could have your privacy, so I wouldn't be in the way and yet where were you when I really needed you?"

Phil whimpered as Bella bit into his skin in several places injecting her venom into his wounds causing him to scream in pain and agony. Normally injecting venom was a bad idea as it would begin to change the person in question in to a vampire but neither of them were going to live long enough for it to matter. Bella calmly looked at Phil and then made sure to take his elbow joint, his hand and his fingers and crush the bones until they were nothing, but powder as well before tearing it off completely and throwing it across the room. Phil fainted at that point and Bella cackled evilly as she continued to tear little piece off of him, an eye, an ear, his nose and several of his teeth joined the pile of parts in the corner and she did that only after Jasper had woken him up using his gift of course for Bella wanted Phil to feel every ounce of pain that she had felt.

"Jasper would you kindly send them the pain of the transformation? Don't mute it on my account, feel free to give them every ounce of pain and burning that the transformation causes," asked Bella sweetly.

"Yes ma'am, I'll be more than happy to," drawled Jasper sending out waves of pain so strong that both Renee and Phil screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed until both their hearts stopped beating ten minutes later from the pain they were in and they died.

"I suppose the pain was just to much for them," Bella smirked. "I'm almost sorry I can't bring them back to life, put them back together again and do it over and over and over."

"Oh Bella, you are definitely a woman after my own heart," said Jasper coming over and kissing her. Bella purred and returned the kiss and when they finally broke apart they noticed that both of them were covered in blood from where it had spurted from torn off limbs and the cuts.

"Well my mate what do you say that before we go back upstairs that we lick each other clean?" asked Jasper seductively purring at the sight of his mate covered in the blood of her victims.

"Sounds good to me, cowboy," Bella purred in return licking the blood off his well defined chest. "Hm, you taste even better with blood all over you," she added dreamily as she took another lick of the blood on her mate's chest.

The two of them ignored the two corpses and laid on the ground kissing and licking the blood off each other, their demons purring as they made love amidst the carnage of the blood spattered walls and floor.

End Flashback

Eight months later

Bella entered her classroom for her first day of college. Going to college for the very first time and she was a hundred and nineteen years old was strange but at the same time it felt good to be doing something relatively normal. It was true that she had taken several courses over the internet but as she had told Jasper it wasn't the same as actually going and sitting in a classroom and interacting with the other students and professors while getting the full college experience and he had agreed. She already missed him and there was a dull ache in her chest from his absence but Char had been right in the fact that if she had had a chance to go to college even for a year when she had been human and gotten some real world experiences then perhaps her view of herself would be more normal. She knew even after a hundred years that she still lacked self-confidence and self-esteem in certain situations no matter how much she told herself that she could do whatever it was. Of course intellectually she knew her mother had really done a number on how she viewed herself and all because she was the one that had taken care of Renee instead of the other way around but knowing something in your head was different from getting your heart to believe it. Perhaps if she had been raised more normally and had the experiences that all teenagers had she wouldn't have this self-image problem but then maybe she would. In any case she would never know. At least she no longer got insanely jealous when another woman even looked in Jasper's direction like she had in the beginning and it had taken Jasper years to finally convince her that he was never going to want another woman when he had her mate bond notwithstanding and she supposed that was progress of a sort. Actually acknowledging that you had a problem, whatever it was, was the first step in correcting it Bella knew and unlike Edward all those years ago she admitted she knew she had a problem with her self-confidence.

Bella sat down in the back of the classroom the contacts in her eyes already annoying her as she had to force herself to not constantly blink to try to get rid of the irritation

The contacts made her eyes an odd dull brownish color but at least they looked relatively normal. Also she had made sure she had fed before she even thought about stepping foot in the doors of the college with hundreds of people milling about and therefore hundreds if not thousands of temptations within striking distance.

Class began and Bella found she could look like she was listening intently while her mind was wondering. She still took in what the professor was saying but at the same time she was busy thinking other things.

When class ended Bella was one of the first out the door needing a break from being around all those humans. She headed outside and into the fresh air so she could breath in the scents of nature.

"You sure did leave fast," said a female voice, "Is something the matter?"

Bella opened her eyes from where she was leaning up against a tree to see a beautiful girl with black, curly hair and hazel eyes looking at her kindly as well as a little quizzically. How had the young woman approached her without her noticing? Bella wondered. No mere human should be able to sneak up on a vampire. She must have been really distracted to allow such a thing to happen.

"I'm fine," Bella assured her as her throat seared because the wind brought the girl's scent to her nose. "I just had to get out of there is all."

"Why?" asked the girl curiously.

"I've always had a very sensitive sense of smell and you try sitting in a classroom with all those people packed in there and try to tell me that the smell of perfume, body odor, shampoo, sweat and other things doesn't get to you."

What Bella said was true or at least it was true since she had become a vampire and her sense of smell had become so acute.

"I'm Bella by the way," Bella added.

"I'm Sofia," said the now named girl shaking Bella's hand. Sofia looked surprised when she took Bella's hand that it was so cold, but didn't comment which Bella thought showed good manners which was very rare in today's world.

"It's nice to meet you," said Bella wondering why this girl wasn't avoiding her like most humans did instinctively. In fact she had come out here to specifically to check on her and that not only made her unusual, but kind and caring.

"You're married?" asked Sofia noticing the wedding ring which Bella had refused to remove for any reason.

"Yes, for three years now," Bella responded not telling Sofia the truth and that was that she had been married for a hundred years.

"How old are you?" asked Sofia curiously.

"Twenty-one," Bella answered which was the age on her ID. "Jasper and I got married when I was eighteen and he was twenty."

"That's awfully young to get married unless you were pregnant," Sofia commented.

Bella snorted as she began to notice that Sofia said what she thought and was very untactful which was kind of refreshing actually. "No I wasn't pregnant and in fact I can't biologically have children but Jasper and I had known each other for a while and we just fell in love so we figured why wait till he finished college to get married? I then decided that I was going to go to college in a couple of years after we had been married for a while and here I am."

"So you can't have children and you are only twenty-one, that's kind of sad," said Sofia.

"I suppose, but to tell you the truth I never even thought about having children for when I was younger I was the clumsiest person on the face of the earth. It's kind of surprising now that I think back that I wasn't in some kind of major accident or killed because I was so clumsy. I eventually outgrew it which I was very grateful for, but I would never want to pass that kind of clumsiness onto a child and even if I could have them I just never wanted them."

"Why?" asked Sofia. "I thought it was every girls dream to be married and have children of their own."

"Is that your dream? To someday settle down, get married, have a 2.3 children? Because for me my home life was such that I promised myself I was never going to pass my genes down to a child."

"You're home life was that bad?" asked Sofia intrigued.

"Well my mother, Renee was more of a child then me. I was the one that basically raised her instead of the other way around. I don't remember the number of times I had to convince her to not try something crazy like bungee jumping or skydiving." Bella rolled he eyes as she remembered. "She was a free spirit I guess you could say, but what that meant for me was I was the one that made sure the bills were paid and cooked meals."

"What about your father?" asked Sofia curiously.

"Renee divorced him when I was just a baby and moved to Phoenix Arizona which is where I grew up until I was seventeen when she got remarried. I was always flying out to see my father in the summer and during holidays and I moved in with him after Renee married again. My father, Charlie lived in one of the rainiest, cloudiest places in the world and that was Forks Washington which averages no more then three or four sunny days a year. You try moving from sunny Phoenix which is in the desert to a place with very little sun and a lot of rain. It was one of the best decisions I ever made though for that was where I met Jasper who had been adopted by Dr. and Mrs. Cullen along with several other children. Carlisle and Esme were like a second set of parents to me and I got close to their adoptive daughters Alice and Rosalie and their adoptive son Emmett."

"You talk as if they are all dead," said Sofia.

"Well my father was shot when I was eighteen and died in the hospital so I moved in with the Cullens as his house just held to many memories for me. It wasn't long after that, that Carlisle, Esme and Alice all died in a house fire that I barely managed to escape with my life. Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie were all out camping and so weren't there at the time. All of us were of legal age so there was no adoptive care for any of us and in fact Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie were all preparing to go to college when it happened." Of course the truth of the matter was that Jasper and his siblings had been out hunting and drinking blood, but it wasn't as if she could tell Sofia that as not only would she think she was crazy it would reveal that truth about vampires which was a big no, no.

"It sounds as if you had tragedy piled on top of tragedy," said Sofia looking sympathetic.

"I suppose so, but luckily for me I had Jasper who was my rock when my father was killed and when his adoptive parents were killed just a month later he was there for me despite the fact that he was grieving for his own loss. I also had Emmet who has always been like a big brother to me and then there was Rosalie who really helped me out despite the that we haven't always gotten along." Bella fell silent wondering why she was telling this virtual stranger this and then realized she felt as if she had known Sofia for years instead of just half an hour. "So what about you? I've told you about my life it is only fair that you tell me about yours."

"Well my brother and I grew up as wards of the government after our parents were killed. We were moved from foster home to foster home until we were ten when we were placed with this older couple who couldn't have children. Before then I had withdrawn into myself and Chris was not the same either. The other homes had other children to look after and neither of us was getting the help we needed to not only get over our parents deaths but to grow up feeling like we had some self-worth. It was a good thing we ended up there though for the Simmons showered us with love as well as kindness and discipline. Thanks to them I came out of my shell and Chris returned to the brother I had known before our parents were killed. I know we were lucky in that we finally landed with the Simmons for being wards of the government it was very likely we would have been separated and sent to different homes and neither one of us would have survived that as were have always been very close. We are twins after all and twins are usually pretty close."

"Sounds like you had an even worse time off it then I did," said Bella sympathetically. "I mean I know I lost my father, Carlisle, Esme and Alice all within a month of each other but I had Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie to help me through it and I had already graduated high school and was of legal age so I didn't get put in a foster home or sent back to my mother, which I didn't want as I would have ended up as an unpaid servant probably for the rest of my life."

"Your mother sounds like the wicked stepmother from Cinderella," aid Sofia grinning wickedly.

Bella laughed out loud at that for Sofia had no idea how accurate she was. "She wasn't quite as bad as the stepmother from Cinderella as she was never cruel and she didn't force me to do the work, but I probably would have stayed out of a sense of obligation if nothing else. My mother was rather flighty I'm afraid."

"Don't tell me she is dead to?" asked Sofia.

"Well she disappeared under rather mysterious circumstances," said Bella vaguely not wanting to talk or even think about her mother.

"So do you and your husband want to get together sometime you know just to hang out?" asked Sofia. "I really like you and it will be nice for my brother and me to have some friends here as neither of us has made any close friends in the two years we've been here."

"I'll discuss it with my husband and let you know," said Bella. "Here's my cell phone number so you can call me," she added reeling off a number which Sofia set into her cell phone as well as gave Bella hers.

They both talked for a few more minutes but then they headed off to their next class each a little happier as they both felt they had made a life long friend.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"So how did your first day of college college go?" asked Jasper as soon as Bella walked over to the park bench where they were supposed to meet and sat down leaning her head against his shoulder. Jasper sighed almost silently in relief as the dull ache that had been in his chest from the moment she had disappeared into the doors of the college slowly vanished and he put his arm around her shoulders hugging her close to him again grateful that she was his.

"Well the classes were okay and you were right by the way," said Bella.

"About what?" asked Jasper curiosity in his eyes behind his sunglasses.

"When you said that sitting in a classroom for sometimes hours at a time could be overwhelming."

"In what way was it overwhelming?" asked Jasper trying not to sound smug or to smirk.

"Go ahead be smug all you want as you were right and I should have taken what you told me more seriously then I did at the time," Bella told her mate knowing him very well after being together for a hundred years. "You are after all the voice of experience."

"So tell me what happened?" asked Jasper.

"Well," said Bella knowing what he meant without having to ask, "after that very first class was over I had to get out of there as the the smell of sweat, blood, perfume, body odor and shampoo was very strong and I really tried not to breathe to much the whole time I was in class."

"But did the blood bother you?" asked Jasper.

"Not anymore then going to a busy store," Bella assured him.

"Good," said Jasper with relief in his voice realizing that Char had been right in the fact that it appeared that Bella could handle being around so many humans for so long.

"You know the strangest thing happened," said Bella after a moment as the two of them sat comfortably holding each other.

"What strange thing?" asked Jasper curiously.

"Well this girl approached me just a few minutes after I exited the classroom. I was leaning against a tree with my eyes closed just breathing in the scents of nature when I heard this female voice ask me if I was all right. I opened my eyes to see this beautiful girl about the age I appear to be or maybe a year or two older standing just a few feet from me. I'm still not sure how she approached me and I didn't hear her until she spoke and in all honesty she really reminded me of my human self except without the clumsiness."

"Why?" asked Jasper.

"Well because she didn't seem to be afraid or to sense the predator within me and didn't instinctively avoid me like most humans do for our kind. She came up to me and asked me if I was alright and we got into a rather long conversation. Her name was Sofia and it was the strangest thing, but I felt as if I had known her all my life instead of just half an hour. I told her some of my past, appropriately edited of course and she told me that she and her twin brother Chris had been wards of the government and a little bit of her story. When she realized I was married she asked me rather bluntly why I had gotten married so young unless I was pregnant of course. To tell you the truth her bluntness was rather refreshing as I get so tired of some people dancing around an awkward subject instead of just asking a person something straight out."

"And what did you tell her?" asked Jasper wondering if Sofia and her brother Chris were going to become part of their lives at least while they lived here.

"I simply told her that we had fallen in love and that neither of us had seen the reason to wait to get married when we loved each other so much and also that I couldn't biologically have children which she thought was kind of sad."

"In a way it is," said Jasper. "I can never get you pregnant and we can never have children of our own no matter how much I would like for that to happen."

"Yes," Bella admitted looking sad. "I would love to have your children, which is not something I thought I would ever say as I told you a long time ago that I never wanted any until I met you but I suppose life is what it is and unlike with Rosalie I don't have a deep-seated need to reproduce. I'm perfectly happy and content with it just being the two of us together for all eternity. People will come into our lives over the centuries we are together and also leave after a time, but I can survive their loss perfectly well but it would be a different story entirely if anything happened to you."

Jasper listened and agreed with everything his wife said for as much as he wanted children he could survive without having them but if he lost Bella for whatever reason it would be a different story entirely.

"Anyway Sofia asked me if we wanted to meet her and her brother somewhere so that perhaps we could become friends. She said that neither her nor Chris had made any close friends in the two years they had been going to college and that she really liked me and would like to get to know me better."

"Well it is a possibility," said Jasper. "We need to try to avoid having to eat though as eating human food is rather disgusting and we will just have to cough it up later if we do eat, which can a lot of times be worse depending on what it is of course."

"We also need to meet at night as we can't go out in the daytime unless it is raining or cloudy and besides we won't have to wear contacts at night nor do we sparkle."

"Well we did pick here to live for a reason as it has more rain and cloudy days then a lot of other places and yet it is big enough that if people go missing it is not going to be noticed."

"So is it possible?" asked Bella trying not to sound or feel to hopeful.

"Yes," said Jasper. "It is possible so you can tell your friend that we will arrange to get together sometime in the next couple of weeks."

"Thank you Jasper," said Bella kissing his cheek and giving him a hug.

"You're more than welcome, darlin'," said Jasper returning his wife's kiss. "I would do anything for you and so long as they don't figure out our secret it might be nice to have some human friends."

"Yes I haven't had a really good girl friend since Melissa was killed all those years ago."

"What about Jessica," Jasper teased Bella gently.

"Jessica Stanley?" asked Bella her astonishment so plain that Jasper just had to laugh. "Are you out of your freaking mind? Even if I don't remember everything I remember enough to know that Jessica was better in very small doses."

"I was just teasing you," Jasper assured her still laughing so hard that if he had been human his sides would have been aching by this point. "And you're right Jessica was just one of those people that could get on the nerves of a saint much less someone like me or you."

"You think you're so fucking hilarious," Bella told him poking him in the side pretending to be annoyed.

"No, but your reaction is," said Jasper who finally quit laughing

Bella grumbled a little more just for show even though she knew that Jasper could tell that she wasn't really annoyed and then gave in and have Jasper a kiss on the lips.

Flashback

By the time they emerged from the cellar it was three days almost four days later.

"How do you feel?" asked Jasper as he sent Bella his love, pride and devotion to make sure she knew that he would aways love her no matter what. Besides in his opinion some people deserved worse then what had been done to them and Bella's mother and stepfather certainly fit into that category.

Bella considered the question for a moment then replied, "I feel...free. I never realized how much Renee's hangups were affecting me or how much I was hurt by the fact that she never even showed up for Charlie's funeral. She didn't even send a fucking email letting me know she was sorry for his death and if you are wondering no I don't feel an ounce of guilt at what I did."

"I can feel that," said Jasper. "And your emotions feel...lighter. It's like dealing with this piece of your past has helped you to heal."

"Perhaps it did," said Bella. "Now shouldn't we get back to the house and get into some other clothes? These are a lost cause," she added as she looked down at her torn shirt which showed her breasts and part of her stomach and then she looked down at her pants which were also torn in several places and covered in blood. "These were my favorite pants to," she sighed.

"So are you ready to deal with Emmet and Rose?" asked Jasper.

Bella looked nervous, "I suppose so."

"What has you so nervous darlin'?" asked Jasper taking her into his arms and just holding her.

"I'm just afraid they will hate me for what I did to them," said Bella.

"Bella you have to stop with this self-doubt," Jasper told her sternly. "Remember what Rose told you of her past and how she got revenge on the men who hurt her?"

Bella nodded.

"Well what we did to your relatives is very similar," said Jasper. "Darlin' they won't hate you. If anything they will respect you and know you are no one to mess with when you are pissed off. It might even stop Emmett from teasing you...well for a while anyway."

"Let's get this over with," said Bella with a sigh feeling a little better but still nervous.

"They love you," Jasper added. "To them you will always be their sister whom they will protect from anything that would hurt you."

Bella nodded and the two of them headed into the house side by side, Jasper with his arm around her waist.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"So what are we going to do with the bodies? Well what's left of them anyway," asked Bella as she sat on Jasper's lap in the living room with her head laying comfortably against his shoulder.

It was half an hour later and Bella and Jasper had showered and gotten dressed in fresh clothes. They had come inside to find Rose and Emmett waiting and Emmett who had been pacing had raced over to her and picked her up in a hug not saying anything although it was obvious that he had been worried.

"You okay?" Rose had asked looking concerned.

"I'm fine," Bella had assured her. "As I was telling Jasper I feel lighter. It's as if I had a thorn in my foot and that by dealing with Renee and Phil I took it out so it could heal."

Rose had studied Bella for a moment and seeming reassured at what she saw, nodded.

Bella came out of her thought when Emmett said, "Well we need to gather up the bodies and leave them out near a polar bear's den and if the authorities find the them they are going to assume that they were torn apart by the bears."

"That's a good idea Emmett," Bella complimented him, "but also what you don't know is I found some drugs in a hidden compartment of Renee's suitcase and I think it would be a good idea if we left the bottle in her pocket. It will be assumed that they were both so drugged up and they wondered out onto the ice and accidentally ran into a polar bear who then tore them apart."

All three looked impressed with Bella's idea. "That's a good idea, darlin'," said Jasper sending her his pride. "I wondered what you were going to do with that bottle of capsules you took from their room."

"What kind of pills is it?" asked Emmett curious.

"It's heroin mixed with something else," said Jasper. "I took one of the capsules apart and smelled it when Bella found it hidden in her mother's luggage. I'm not sure what the heroin was mixed with though as I didn't recognize the scent."

"Well let's do it," said Emmett jumping up.

"We also need to clean up that room in the cellar," said Jasper. "I'm afraid we were both a little...enthusiastic when we were torturing them. There's blood everywhere."

"And they are no longer whole either," added Bella with a smirk. "I'm afraid I was rather pissed off and they have had most of their limbs torn off."

"That's an understatement," said Jasper with a chuckle.

"But do you know what finally did them in?" asked Bella with a smirk.

"What?" asked Rose and Emmett at the same time.

"Well I had Jasper send them the pain that come when transforming into a vampire and let me tell you they screamed and screamed and screamed and after just ten minutes of that their hearts gave out and they died. Of course they were already mostly dead anyway from loss of blood and pain."

"Wow," whispered Rose in awe.

"I may have sent them not only the pain that Isabella felt during the transformation but the pain of every newborn I have ever changed and that has been in the hundreds. I'm actually surprised that their hearts didn't give out within seconds and that they lasted so long, especially with the blood loss."

Emmett and Rose looked at Jasper in awe. "I didn't know your talent was so powerful," Rose whispered looking awed and astonished.

"It has a lot to do with the fact that I am now drinking human blood. It is true that animal blood helped with the thirst and I won't deny it is what I needed at the time, but I noticed after awhile that my talent was dampened, not as strong and not as precise. Now that I am back on human blood my talent is back to full power."

"Well let's get things taken care of," Bella suggested, "And then I don't know about Jasper, but I need to feed."

"You didn't actually drink their blood?" asked Emmett surprised.

"And put that filth into my system? Get real, Emmett," Bella said sarcastically and smirked. "I didn't want any part of them to be a part of me. It's bad enough that she is the woman who gave birth to me."

"And I'm glad she did darlin'," said Jasper giving her a kiss on the forehead, "or I never would have been so happy as I am now because I wouldn't have found the woman I was meant to be with for the rest of eternity."

"But perhaps if I hadn't been born, Carlisle, Esme and Alice would still be alive," Bella whispered her greatest secret.

"Bella, you can't think that way," Rose told her softly. "Even if you weren't around Edward would have gone insane sooner or later. I always thought he was a little crazy anyway and even if it was three or four hundred years from now something would have eventually set him off and they might have still died. You can't take the whole world on your shoulders and what happened was not your fault. Carlisle and Esme might get a small part of the blame because they didn't recognize Edward's depravity until it was to late, but the rest should be placed where it really belongs and that is with Edward himself."

"You're right, I know you are but it's hard not to take blame for things when stuff happens," said Bella still looking a little down.

"You cannot blame yourself, my mate," Jasper said decisively taking ahold of her shoulders and turning her around on his lap to face him. "As Rose has said it is not your fault that Carlisle, Esme and Alice died. All you ever did was love the wrong person and he did not deserve it. A relationship is supposed to be about equality and he never treated you like an equal and you know this. So what if you broke up with him? that is still no reason for him to do what he did and it's not like you told him to set the house on fire or to kill the family he did that all on his own."

"You're right," Bella agreed.

"You need to feed," said Jasper. "You will see things much clearer once you have some fresh blood in you as your eyes are very dark, darlin' We all tend to get a little cranky when we are hungry you know and in that way we are just like humans."

"I knew I was a little hungry but I didn't realize I was so hungry that throat is not just burning but searing awfully," said Bella. "I suppose I have been so distracted that I just didn't notice until now."

"So let's go hunting," said Rose.

The other's nodded in agreement.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"I think it is time we contacted the Volturi," said Jasper as soon as they had cleaned up from hunting and taking care of the bodies. "We really can't afford to wait any longer. Aro might forgive us for not contacting them for six months because we had newborn to deal with but once he reads our memories and see how unusual a newborn Bella was and how controlled she has been since the beginning well you get the idea."

The other three nodded

"And after we contact them?" asked Bella little nervously.

"I'm sure they'll want us to come to Volterra," said Jasper.

"If that's the case how will we get there?" asked Emmett. "We probably shouldn't take Bella on a plane full of people. That would be bad."

"We can rent something," said Jasper. "I do have my pilot's license and I would prefer to have a plane to ourselves in any case as there won't be all those humans and their beating hearts. I might have an easier time controlling myself now that I am back on human blood but that doesn't mean I want to be around all those tempting human scents, especially for such a long flight and in an enclosed space."

"Maybe we should just buy a plane?" Emmett suggested.

"That's not a bad idea," said Jasper slapping Emmett on the back. "We'll have to look into that after we get back from Volterra, but now we had better call."

Jasper took out his phone and dialed a number and a voice in Italian immediately answered, "Ciao?

"This is Major Jasper Whitlock, may I please speak to Aro?" said Jasper in English.

"Major Whitlock what a pleasant surprise, have you called to take me up on my offer?" said a voice on the other end of the line after a few moments.

"No I'm afraid not Aro," answered Jasper politely, but firmly. "I did call you with the news that Carlisle Cullen, his mate Esme and their daughter Alice have all been killed."

"What? When did this happen?" Aro growled sounding shocked and enraged.

"About six months ago and I would have contacted you sooner but we had a newborn to take care of."

"A newborn? Please explain," said Aro sounding intrigued.

And so Jasper launched into the story of how Edward had been attracted to a human Bella and how he had always treated her and then about the birthday party and the paper cut.

"Edward didn't take the news well that we were mates and he actually tried to accuse me of manipulating her emotions in order to have her for myself, as if I would ever do such a thing. Also he went to Bella's house and attacked her while I was out hunting."

"I bet you were furious," said Aro dryly.

"That's an understatement," said Jasper also dryly. "Of course I wasn't the only one who was beyond furious. Emmett has always thought of Bella as a little sister when he found out Edward had attacked her well...you get the idea."

Aro chuckled in agreement. "So what happened after that?" asked Aro.

"Well after we had reassembled him Carlisle threw him out of the family and I'm afraid he didn't take it well. We're sure it was him who set the fire and trapped Carlisle, Esme and Alice. It was only sheer luck that Bella was near a window and had enough presence of mind to jump. Of course if Emmett, Rosalie and I hadn't gotten back in time from hunting she probably would not have survived."

"How is Bella doing as a newborn?" asked Aro curiously.

"She's been very controlled since the beginning and has taken to being a vampire extremely well. We believe that it is because she knew about vampires and knew the change was coming. Despite the fact the she was changed because she was dying she accepted it and in fact wanted to be a vampire. Originally it was because she wanted to be with Edward and then she realized that he treated her like some kind pet she was going to break up with him even before the birthday party, but never got he chance since Edward had to go out of town for a few days and afterwards it was because she wanted to be with me because she couldn't imagine her life without me."

"And does she drink animal blood or human?" asked Aro curiously.

"Actually all four of us have started drinking human blood," said Jasper.

Aro gasped in surprise and Jasper could tell he was truly shocked at his words. "How did this come about? I had understood that you and the others were truly committed to Carlisle's way of life."

"Well Bella made me realize that I could drink from criminals and not feel the guilt and depression that I had before because I could feel my victims emotions. I don't feel the least guilty for drinking from murderers, rapists and the like. In my book they deserve what they get."

"Your Bella sounds very unique," said Aro, thoughtfully. "Has she shown any talent?"

"She is a very strong physical shield and we think that is why Edward was never able to read her mind even when she was human. We've been practicing and she can use it to protect the four of us from attacks and yet I can still use my talent."

"So what do you want us to do about this Edward situation?" asked Aro.

"I was thinking that the Volturi have the resources to find him and the four of us don't," said Jasper. "I knew you would want to know of Carlisle's death since I knew you were good friends at one time despite your differing diets. Also as insane as he is he might do something that would make the humans aware of our existence and we can't have that."

"No, you're right," Aro acknowledged.

"Also he needs to be dealt with simply because he tried to interfere between myself and Bella after we discovered we were mates. Bella and I were willing to let it go when he attacked her, her moreso then me, but after the deaths of Carlisle, Esme and Alice even she agrees that something must be done. She loved Carlisle and Esme as a set of parent figures and Alice as a sister so you can imagine what she wants to do to him once he is found."

"Yes, I can," said Aro chuckling.

"Rosalie and Emmett also want a piece of him to and so do I," said Jasper deadly serious.

"Well start a search for him immediately," Aro promised. "And we would do this even if Carlisle and I hadn't been good friends simply because we can't have an insane vampire running around. Since Carlisle, his mate and daughter were killed that gives me even more reason to find him."

"You need to tell whoever you send after him to be careful as he can read minds," said Jasper. "Tell them to try not to think about the fact that they have been sent to locate and capture him or he'll escape."

"Well then, isn't it lucky for us that we have George?" asked Aro chuckling. "He's like a radar scrambler and has the unique ability to scramble his thoughts and the thoughts of anyone within a certain distance," Aro explained before Jasper could ask. "There's no way Edward will be able to read any of my team's mind with him around."

"Well won't Edward be pissed when he discovers that," Jasper chuckled sardonically. "Ask me if I care if fuckwad is pissed?"

"After what he has done to you and the rest of your coven I would guess the answer to that is no," said Aro also chuckling.

"You got that right," said Jasper. "Edward never hid the fact that he didn't like me because of my past and the feeling was mutual. To me he was a spoiled rotten, over-indulged, judgmental child who never matured. I know that for a vampire changes can come slowly if at all, but in order to change you must first acknowledge that you have a problem and want to change and Edward was to stubborn to see that."

"So will the four of you be coming to Volterra then?" asked Aro and Jasper could tell it was not a request despite how it was phrased.

"We were already planning on it as I knew you would want to see for yourself that what I have told you is true. Rose has already rented us a private jet and we should be there sometime tomorrow."

"Very well then I will inform my brothers that you are coming and we will see you tomorrow, but for now, ciao," said Aro.

"Ciao," said Jasper hanging up the phone.

"So that takes care of that," said Jasper looking at the other three people in the room.

"Should you really have told him so much?" asked Rose looking uncertain which was very unusual for her.

"Rose, he would have seen it anyway the minute he touched any of us. As far as I know it is impossible to hide anything from him and telling the truth now will only help us when we get to Volterra. I know that your opinion of the Volturi is colored by what Carlisle told you and I'm not saying that they are forgiving of anyone breaking the law but unlike what he told you they do believe in the keeping the few laws we have. That is the reason they punish lawbreakers so harshly because keeping our race a secret is vital. What do you imagine would happen if a lot of humans found out about us?"

"It would be chaos," said Rose immediately seeming to understand. "It would be like the Salem Witch trials all over again. We would be hunted down and eventually they would figure out how to kill us."

"Exactly," said Jasper.

"All right you have a point," conceded Rose. "And you are the one that has met them before so you know them. I'm sorry for questioning you."

"It's okay, really, I know that you were just concerned, but you can't let what Carlisle told you color your opinion of them. I won't deny that they can be selfish, greedy and like the finer things in life, except on a more ostentatious scale then Carlisle, Esme and Alice did, but they do believe in keeping the few laws we have. You'll see what I mean when you meet them and when you do forget what Carlisle told you and form your own opinion."

"I will," Rose promised, taking Jasper's comments to heart as she knew he was right and she shouldn't let her maker's opinion of their rulers affect her or stop her from forming her own.

"So I suppose we should pack," said Bella coming from where she had been sitting and giving Jasper a kiss. Thanks to Rosalie, the internet and Jasper's credit card which he had been generous enough to loan her, she had been able to order a lot of new stuff online, things she actually liked since she hadn't been able to go out around many humans yet at least until the last month or so. It was true that when she went hunting she was around some people and she had been to that club and done okay but then again Jasper was always with her and she tended to concentrate on him instead of anything else so that helped.

End Flashback

"So why don't you tell us a little bit about yourselves," Chris suggested as they met up outside the movie theater. It was a week later and it had been agreed that Bella and Jasper were to meet Sofia and Chris at the movies. It was to be their first outing so that they could get to know each other a bit better although Chris had met both Bella and Jasper on a couple of occasions already where they had talked for a few minutes and Chris had liked both of them. He could also sense that they was something strange about them although he couldn't quite figure out what it was. The couple of times Chris had met Jasper he had immediately noticed that he walked like a predator and so did Bella for that matter and that made him nervous but when he actually talked to them he discovered that both were very nice and so he filed that piece of information into the back of his mind for later. Perhaps it was nothing but his instincts were screaming at him that these two were dangerous but when he talked to them they had appeared normal and could carry on an intelligent conversation about all sorts of subjects which was another strange thing as both seemed to know more then they should for their apparent ages. Jasper didn't look more then twenty-two or three and Bella didn't look more than eighteen maybe nineteen and although that in itself wasn't suspicious the fact that both knew so much was. Also both there eyes were an odd shade of dullish brown and although it wasn't an unusual color in itself it was the fact that both had the exact same color eyes and you would think that Jasper with his blond hair would have blue eyes or maybe green.

"Well originally I'm from Houston Texas," Jasper began easily. "When my parents died I was adopted by Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife Esme. The Cullens had a habit of adopting orphans and so I was just one more, so I grew up with two sisters and a brother." Jasper didn't bother to factor Edward into that equation as he no longer considered him a Cullen since he was the one that had killed his creator, his wife and his sister. "Esme was quite loving and motherly and couldn't have children of her own and since both Carlisle and his wife loved them they adopted. Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and I grew up together and became quite close and considered ourselves real siblings even though we weren't related by blood. Well except for Emmett and Rosalie who fell in love and got married."

"My sister mentioned that your adoptive parents and sister died in a house fire," said Chris.

"That's true enough," said Jasper. "Rosalie, Emmett and I were all out camping at the time and so we weren't there. Bella and Alice both hated camping and Bella who was living with us since her father had been shot didn't feel like living in her father's house all by herself. Both Bella and Alice decided to stay home instead of coming with us. That day will always be the most terrifying in my memory for Rose, Emmett and I came home to find the house on fire and I was sure for a few minutes, although it seemed longer, that everyone was dead and then we found Bella who was laying on the ground several yards from the house and she had several broken bones." What Jasper said was true but it was also an understatement of what had happened that day a hundred years ago but it wasn't like he could tell these two humans the full truth.

"Bella was the only one to escape that fire and Carlisle, Esme and Alice all died being unable to get past the flames."

Chris listened as Jasper recounted what had happened that day and it didn't take much for him to imagine the grief that Bella, Jasper and his siblings had gone through when they had discovered that half their family was dead.

"Luckily for all of us we were all of age so there was no foster care for any of us," said Bella who had been quiet until now and Jasper knew that just thinking about the fire much less talking about it always made her sad as she still missed Carlisle, Esme and Alice very much even after a hundred years. "As for me, as I told Sofia last week, I was born in Forks Washington to Renee and Charlie Swan. My mother though always being rather flighty fled with me right after I was born and ended up in Phoenix where she immediately filed for divorce. It wasn't that my father was abusive or cruel because he wasn't but I believe that my mother thought she had made a mistake in marrying so young as she felt she hadn't really had a chance to live and do all the things she wanted to do. In fact while I was growing up I often got lectured about marrying young and if she hadn't disappeared," Jasper internally smirked at this statement as he and Bella had been the ones to make Renee and Phil disappear, "she would have been horrified that I married Jasper when I was only eighteen. Anyway I was only seventeen when my mother remarried Phil Dwyer who was a minor league baseball player and so I decided I was going to go live with my father and get out of the newlywed's way. To tell the truth I was beginning to feel something like a third wheel and I was tired of coming into a room to catch them kissing," Bella said with a shudder. "I also knew that my mother wanted to travel with her new husband but couldn't as long as I was still living with them so I finished my last year of high school in Forks and that was where I met Jasper and the rest of his family. Anyway Jasper and I started dating shortly before my father was killed and if it hadn't been for him or the rest of the family I probably would have taken his death a lot harder. All of them in their own way helped me through my grief."

Chris and Sofia both listened in amazement and astonishment as Bella recounted what had happened to her.

"You survived all that and didn't turn bitter which in itself is astonishing," said Chris. "A lot of people if they had been through what you have would be very bitter and angry and losing so many people they loved practically all at the same time and yet you don't seem to be."

"I had Jasper to help me through it and perhaps if that hadn't been the case I might be bitter and angry."

"I don't believe you would be even if we had never met as it isn't really part of your personality to become bitter or angry," said Jasper. "I'm not saying you wouldn't temporarily be both but if I know you, you would eventually work through your grief and get on with your life

"You're right," Bella admitted. "My father was a cop and even in a tiny town like Forks that can be dangerous occasionally so I knew that it was a possibility that he would one day be killed in the course of his job. As for Carlisle, Esme and Alice although I loved them I wouldn't let their deaths make me bitter as that is not what they would have wanted. All three of them would have wanted me to grieve for them for a while but then they would have wanted me to get on with my life and to make something of myself, Carlisle and Esme especially."

"That's a good attitude to have," said Sofia. "The same goes for us as we could have allowed our parents deaths to make us bitter and angry and perhaps if we hadn't landed with the Simmons that would have happened but Carla and Ben encouraged us and helped us work through our grief. I won't deny that our parents deaths left its mark on us as we were just nine when it happened."

"Have you ever lost someone you love and wanted one more conversation, one more chance to make up for the time when you thought they would be here forever? If so, then you know you can go your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back," Jasper quoted quietly.

"That quote is very appropriate," said Sofia sounding impressed. "Who said it?"

"That was written by Mitch David Albom in One More Day. He was born May 23rd, 1958 and died in 2035 at the age of 87. He was an American best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, dramatist, radio and television broadcaster and musician. His books sold over 80 million copies worldwide. Having achieved national recognition for his sports writing in the earlier part of his career, he is perhaps best known for the inspirational stories and themes that weave through his books, plays and films. He is also well known for his philanthropic work in Detroit, Michigan where he founded four charities."

"Wow," said Chris sounding impressed although he was also suspicious as to how Jasper could know so much when he looked so young. It wasn't like Mitch Albom was a recent author that had had books published in the last thirty years. They were in the fucking twenty-second century for pete sakes and how would someone Jasper's age even know about such an old author. "How do you even know about someone as Mitch Albom who's been dead for like seventy years?" asked Chris trying to sound merely curious.

"Oh I read a lot and Carlisle had quite an extensive library some of which were passed down within his family," said Jasper shrugging nonchalantly feeling how suspicious Chris was. "I also have a photographic memory so once I've seen or read something I never forget it."

Chris's suspicions diminished and Jasper was grateful as he would hate to have to move in a hurry and break off contact with them as he knew Bella would be upset if they had to do that and so would he as he was really beginning to like both of them and it had been a long time since he had had any human friends, well never actually, at least not after he was changed. Jasper had never understood Carlisle's or Esme's desire to befriend humans until after Bella had come into their lives but then at the time he had still thought of them as food even though he had been drinking animal blood back then. It wasn't until he had gotten to know Bella that his opinion had changed and now he was happy to sit in this movie theater with his new human friends talking quietly until the movie began. The scent of their blood didn't even bother him all that much which was astonishing for as close as he was to them his throat should have been searing but it wasn't or at least not badly. Sure he could still smell the blood running in their veins and sure it smelled delicious but he had no desire to bite them which was very odd as that had never happened before.

"The movie is starting," Bella said quietly having been listening to the conversation silently.

The other three fell silent and watched as the opening credits rolled form where they were sitting alone on the back row.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Jasper and Bella arrived home late as they had stopped off in a bad section of town to have them a meal before coming home.

"So how do you think it went tonight?" Bella asked Jasper.

"Okay," said Jasper as he sat down on the couch pulling Bella into his lap which was her favorite place to be and that was wrapped up in her mate's protective embrace. "Chris sure was suspicious of us though, me in particular."

"I know, I caught that and I don't have your talent. I thought you did a good job of defusing his suspicions though."

"We are going to have to be very careful as both are intelligent and if we leave them enough clues with the things we say and do they may eventually figure out what we are and that would be very dangerous for them if the Volturi find out."

"Not for us?" asked Bella

"Probably not although we would have to move just to be on the safe side. Even if they did tell someone no one would believe them and just pass it off as overactive imaginations or that they were delusional not that I think either would say anything for I believe both of them are to intelligent to say anything and be passed off as insane or as just trying to get attention."

"That's true," Bella agreed as she snuggled into Jasper's chest contently. "Still it was nice to go to the movies with other people instead of it being just us." Going to the movies was a favorite activity for them where they would sit on the back row, usually alone and watch a movie while necking a little so that by the time they got home they were so hot for each other that it led to some of the best sex they ever had. It wasn't that making love to each other ever got boring, but sometimes certain experiences got them both inspired and that inspiration led to some heavy, fast sex and also them trying new things. There had been one time where Jasper had surprised Bella by bringing home some sex toys, things like several types of vibrators, nipple clamps, several types of cock rings, a penis sleeve, and butt plugs.

Bella had been surprised, but had been willing to give them a try and she now loved using the sex toys as they increased both their pleasures which neither had thought was possible as every time they made love they almost exploded from the pleasure and ecstasy they felt and in which their mate bond intensified.

"Yes it was nice," Jasper agreed. "You know back when I lived with the Cullens I never understood Carlisle and Esme's fascination with befriending humans until one day a seventeen year old girl tripped not only into my life changing it forever but into the lives of five other vampires changing theirs as well." Bella giggled at that knowing Jasper was talking about her. "Up until that point, although I went to a school full of humans I mostly still thought of them as food even though I was on the animal blood diet back then," Jasper continued. "As we've discussed before it takes a while for a vampire to change and even though I had been with the Cullens for decades it wasn't until I met you that I slowly stopped thinking of humans as just food, but as people with souls, lives, families, jobs and hobbies. You know the funny thing is that when I was sitting in that movie theater right next to two humans and with humans surrounding us on all sides, the smell of all that blood, but especially Chris's and Sofia's didn't make my throat sear like it usually does. For the first time ever I had no desire to bite or at least not the twins."

"You didn't?" asked Bella in astonishment lifting her head from where it was buried in Jasper's shirt as she had been breathing in his scent which always relaxed her.

"No, it was as if their blood had no call for me which has never happened before."

Bella absorbed this astonishing news for Jasper had always had trouble with his bloodlust although ever since he had gone back to drinking human blood a hundred years ago it was less and he could be around humans more easily then back when he had been living with the Cullens and drinking animal blood.

"Well this is good," said Bella finally after her vampire brain had processed her husband's statement. "This just means that you won't lose your control around them, which is a very good thing."

"Yes it is, but it is also very strange," Jasper agreed. "I've never been able to get close a humans before, well besides you, and not run the risk of losing my control. It wasn't that their blood didn't smell delicious like always it was just that I had absolutely no desire to bite them."

"Maybe you are finally getting over your bloodlust?" Bella suggested sounding hopeful.

"No I don't think that is it," said Jasper simply. "I felt my throat sear whenever we were near other humans besides Sofia and Chris."

"Maybe it's because you don't think of them as potential food like you do for most humans," Bella suggested finally. "You said it yourself that before you met me you thought of all humans as potential food and not just criminals. This is the first time you have allowed yourself since you went back to drinking human blood to perhaps be friends with a couple of humans."

"Maybe that's partly it, but I also think that it is partly because if I did kill them it would hurt you as you have already become friends with them, Sofia in particular and even The Major tries his best to never hurt the woman he loves."

"I would forgive you if you did feed on them for whatever reason even if it was deliberate instead of accidental," Bella told him giving him a kiss on the lips.

"I know you would, but it would still hurt you and even if you forgave me I would never forgive myself for causing you pain. You are the most important person in my life."

"That's sweet," Bella told him giving him a kiss in thanks.

"It's true and you well know it as we have had many discussions over the years about the fact that neither of us would survive without the other."

"Yes," Bella agreed snuggling into her husband's chest with silent contentment. "You are the most important person in my life as well."

Jasper put his arms around her and both just sat there for a while not needing to say anything at all in order to understand each other.

Flashback

The four of them approached the palace at Volterra and Bella couldn't help but be nervous at meeting the rulers of vampire kind.

It was just under fifteen hours later that the four of them had left their home in Alaska and arrived at Galileo Galilei Airport which was the closest to their destination.

"So do you want to learn how to fly?" Jasper had asked after they were finally in the air and away from the control tower.

"I don't know if I'd be any good at that kind of thing," said Bella looking and feeling incredibly nervous.

"Of course you can learn how to fly," Jasper told his mate sending her his confidence. "You are a vampire now after all and therefore once you learn something you never forget it but even if you were still human know you could do it. I have confidence in you."

"All right," Bella finally decided as learning to fly sounded fun. She really hated being so insecure sometimes but just couldn't help.

"You can do this," Jasper encouraged Bella as he showed her the controls and what each one did.

It wasn't long before before Bella's confidence grew and Jasper sent her his pride as she expertly flew through the skies.

"See, you'll be able to fly on your own in no time at all darlin'," Jasper told her.

"You're a good teacher," said Bella. "I'm sure I wouldn't do half as well under another instructor. Or maybe it's the fact that I now have a perfect memory."

"Or may it's just because you are smarter then you give yourself credit for we just need to work on your self-confidence. I have a feeling I know who is largely responsible and unfortunately she isn't around anymore for me to torture."

"Yes I suppose it is largely my mother's doing that I nave problems with my self-confidence," Bella admitted quietly. She had never admitted that to anyone, but she knew that no matter what Jasper would love her and so it gave her confidence an enormous boost and she also knew that he would never repeat what they talked about unless given permission to do so.

"Mostly in social situations and sometimes learning new things," sad Jasper, "Also the way Edward treated you didn't help."

Bella considered what Jasper had said and nodded after a few minutes. "Yes, I had never thought that my situation with Edward would be part of the cause of my low self-esteem but you're right and the way he always tried to lead me around by the nose wasn't the cause of the problem, but it did compound it."

"So we'll just have to work on your self-esteem issues until you have confidence in yourself even if it takes the next a hundred years."

"I hope it doesn't take that long as I'm looking forward to finally starting my eternity with you."

"Me to, darlin', me to," said Jasper kissing her forehead.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"There is no reason to be nervous, darlin'," said Jasper as he sent her his confidence and his love. He also gave her a hug and kissed her nose.

"I'll try not to be," Bella promised, "but I can't guarantee you I won't be. I'm pretty sure it goes back to when I was human, I was always nervous about meeting new people."

"And yet you were comfortable in a house full of vampires," Emmett joked from where he was driving.

"What can I say?" asked Bella with a shrug a small smile playing on her lips, "meeting you for the first time was like I didn't feel out of place anymore. I was comfortable around you from the first moment we met, especially you Emmett. You always treated me like a little sister and I loved you for it then just as much I do now. You were always my big brother who was there for me no matter what."

Emmett looked choked up at Bella's words and if he could have cried he would have.

"I love you to, little sis," said Emmett.

"And now I have a very protective older sister who will kick the ass of anyone who tries to hurt me," said Bella, "not that I can't take care of myself thanks to your lessons," Bella added with a smirk.

"You got that right, nobody is allowed to hurt my little sister," said Rose sounding all choked up at Bella's description of her.

"And finally I have a mate whom I love heart, body and soul and who loves me the same way in return."

"You got that right," said Jasper looking happy at Bella's words and the constant stream of love she was sending to him and reached over to hug her. Bella looked happy and leaned against his side putting her head on his chest.

Emmett parked the car and the four of them walked over to where two cloaked figures were waiting, "Welcome to Volterra," said the shorter one. "I am Jane and this is Demetri."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," said Jasper. "I'm Jasper Whitlock and this is my mate Isabella Swan McCarty." Bella stepped forward and shook Jane and Demetri's hands not showing the least bit of nervousness now and Jasper was very proud of her. "And this is Emmett McCarty and his wife and mate Rosalie Hale."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," said Demetri. "I have heard of you Mr. Whitlock. you have quite the reputation."

"Call me Jasper," said Jasper, "and I've heard of you to Demetri. I've heard you are quite the tracker. It's a pleasure to meet you to Jane, I've also heard of your talent as well."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," said Jane, "but now, if you will follow us we will take you to the throne room, the kings are waiting," said Jane.

All four of the former Cullens followed Jane down the ancient tunnel and it wasn't long before they arrived at doors of the throne room. Jane left them briefly to announce them and then same back and escorted them into the room.

"Well, Jasper Whitlock, it is a pleasure to see you again," Aro's voice boomed from across the room.

"The pleasure is mine," said Jasper politely walking forward and shaking Aro's hand confidently so that Aro could read his memories.

"Let me introduce myself and my brothers," said Aro as soon as he had read Jasper's memories. "I am Aro and these are Caius and Marcus."

"It's a pleasure to to meet you both," said Jasper as he had ever only met Aro before.

"The pleasure is ours," said Caius truly meaning it as Jasper could feel the fear and awe coming from all three of the brothers even though Marcus didn't speak and just nodded his head.

"Now if you would kindly introduce me to the rest of your coven," said Aro.

"This is my mate Isabella Swan McCarty," said Jasper taking Bella's arm in his.

"My, my I had no idea you were so beautiful," complimented Aro.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Bella politely not showing an ounce of fear or nervousness as she shook Aro's hand and ignoring his compliment entirely.

"I can't read you at all," said Aro in surprise. "This must have to do with your shield your mate was telling me about."

"I don't even have it up," Bella protested.

"Then perhaps you have two shields, one that protects your mind and the other for defense," Aro suggested.

"I suppose it's possible," said Bella with a shrug glad that Aro couldn't read her although she was careful not to show it.

Bella stepped back and Jasper introduced the other two, "And this is Emmett McCarty and his mate and wife Rosalie Hale."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," said Aro as he shook their hands and read their memories.

"My, my I can see from the three of your memories all that has happened to you," said Aro. "And you Isabella were very lucky to survive the change as injured as you were from jumping out that fourth floor window."

Bella shrugged and said, "Perhaps so, but all I remember is Alice's warning and then tossing my father's flag out the window before following. After that it is kind of blurry."

"Which makes sense as a lot of our memories become vague during the change," said Aro. "What do you remember before that?"

"I remember when Edward came to my house while Jasper was out hunting and how he attacked me and told me I was his and I had better get used to it."

Jasper growled softly even though Bella had told him what happened.

"Jasper came in not long after that and he, Emmett and Rosalie tore him apart."

"So I saw when I read their memories," said Aro.

"Carlisle threw him out of the family and Jasper wanted to burn at least one of his arms as a warning but Carlisle wouldn't let him and at the time I agreed with him."

"And now?" asked Caius speaking for the first time since the introductions.

"And now I want his head," said Bella with an evil smirk. "I'm done being nice and merciful where he is concerned. He killed three people who had never done him any harm, well except for Carlisle throwing him out of the family, but still that is no reason to do what he did. I thought of Carlisle as a father, Esme a mother and Alice as my sister. I loved them and they loved me, besides it was only sheer dumb luck that Jasper, Emmett and Rose weren't there at the time or he probably would have got them as well."

"Or it could have been planned that way," Caius suggested. "Maybe Edward felt that there was no way he could get all of you so he went for the three most defenceless."

"That had occurred to me," Jasper admitted. "I mean Carlisle and Esme weren't fighters and Alice depended on her gift to see the future to much to get her out of bad situations. Unfortunately for all of them fuckwad knew how to get around Alice's gift."

"What else do you remember?" asked Aro curious.

"I remember my father's death not long after that incident with fuckwad and how Carlisle did everything he could to save him. I made damn sure I held onto that memory. I remember going to his funeral and accepting his flag and how Jasper stayed with me and the rest of the family to, all except for old Eddie that is." Everyone in the room smirked at the contempt and anger in Bella's voice, but were also glad that that anger was not directed at them. "I don't remember much about the fire other then what I've already said, but I do remember giving Jasper permission to change me and then burning for I don't know how long."

"Two days," said Jasper.

"Only two?" asked Marcus speaking for the first time looking shocked his bored look disappearing for a moment.

"A little bit less actually," said Jasper. "Bella's always been unique. I've always thought that it was because she had already accepted that vampires existed and the fact that we were going to change her. Most of us were never given a choice at what we became but Bella not only knew and accepted it, she welcomed it."

All three kings looked shocked as did everybody else in the throne room.

"It wasn't the pain I welcomed, it was the thought of having a real family who accepted me unconditionally and treated me like an equal and I would have done anything to be with Jasper."

"Yes I can see the mate bond between you," said Marcus. "It is very strong, stronger then I've seen in a long time. I can also see bond you share with the other two and they are almost as strong as the mate bond."

"When Edward Anthony Masen Cullen is found we will call you to come witness his guilt," said Aro. "What I've gotten from you three is enough to convict him three times over but I will have to read his memories as well as soon as we find him. Jane get started on that will you? Unfortunately since Demetri has never met him, he cannot track him so we will have to do this the hard way."

"We've rented a villa not far from here for the duration," said Jasper. "We didn't see any point in going back to Alaska and then having to come back."

"In that case could you and your mate come back tomorrow, I have something I would like to discuss with you?" Aro said.

"Of course, your majesty," said Bella confidently and Jasper sent her his pride.

"Jane, Demetri, show our guests out would you?"

"Of course your majesty," said Jane. "If you will follow us."

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Jane I was wondering if you would like to show me and Rose the city?" asked Bella. "I've never been here and I could use someone to show me around."

Jane considered the offer then nodded, "Sure why not. You sure don't act much like a typical newborn. You're how old?"

"A little over six months in my vampire life and I was eighteen when I was turned," Bella shrugged, "I've never been normal in my reaction to things. From what I can remember from my human life I never felt like I fit in. I was much more mature then my peers and never had time to just hangout with someone like would be normal for someone my age. I was more responsible then anybody I knew so I was always the odd one out. Who wanted to hangout with the weird kid who was smarter then most of them put together and who cared about her grades and did well in class? By the time I moved to Forks to live with my father I was used so being by myself that I was happier with a good book or just alone with my own thoughts."

Jane nodded understanding Bella's attitude a little better and how she had taken to being a vampire so well.

"She does very well around humans," Rose added since she had been listening to the conversation. "We've even been to the mall a few times and she's done okay, just so long as she's well fed beforehand."

"I even enjoy shopping now," Bella added looking at Rose with a smirk.

"How could you not enjoy shopping?" asked Jane in genuine horror and shock.

"That was largely Alice's fault," Rose explained quietly. "As much as I loved her she did tend to be very pushy and was always forcing Bella to try things on that she was uncomfortable in. She also had to go into every store every time she shopped and spent thousands of dollars. I like to shop as much as the next person but I'm not going to force someone to wear something that they obviously don't even want to try on."

"From what I remember there was not much money growing up so I've never been comfortable spending so much at one time. Normally I never let anybody push me around but it was very hard to say no to Alice. Her personality was larger then life and she was the first real friend I had ever had," Bella said not mentioning Jake or Melissa. "I remember vaguely the few times I tried to protest and she would give me this look and told me I was going to give in eventually as she had 'seen' it so I might as well just give in now." Bella shook her head. "I'm much happier not knowing what the future is going to bring, you know? Besides I often wondered if Alice was just saying she had seen it to get me to go along without protesting to much."

"I've often wondered the same thing," Rose admitted. "Who knows? We'll know now in any case since Alice is gone."

"When we go shopping now I buy what I want and Rose doesn't push me into buying something just because it is from a famous designer. I've always been more comfortable in jeans but Alice hated jeans and said they had no style and that might be true in her opinion but it was what I liked to wear and I'm not talking about those designer jeans either, but plain ordinary jeans that don't cost a couple of hundred dollars a pair. Maybe once I've been a vampire for a while I'll change my mind about spending money, but who knows if I ever will? In that way Jasper and I are much alike as he prefers plain jeans and t-shirts and hates designer since Alice bought the clothes for the family and forced him to wear designer slacks and long sleeved shirts. I suppose we're just two people with simple tastes, which is probably one of the many reasons we get along so well."

"There's nothing wrong with liking the simple things in life," said Jane. "Not everybody likes the same things, if we did life would be very boring don't you think? As for me I don't necessarily go for designer although I have been known to buy it if I see something I really like."

"So when were you changed?" asked Rose curiously as Jane looked very young even though she was hundreds of years old.

"I and my twin brother Alec were just fifteen when we were changed, but in the time we were born fifteen was considered grown up and old enough to get married and even have children but in this time it can be a handicap," said Jane. "Sometimes it annoys me that I can't even drive without someone else with me just in case I get pulled over by a police car since I look so young."

"That's bound to be annoying," said Bella sympathetically.

"You have no idea," said Jane rolling her eyes. "I drive as often as I can in one of the vehicles the Volturi own and because of the dark tinted windows nobody usually catches on, but I do have to have somebody with me just in case. Anyway we are approaching the end of the tunnel so I'll see you, say tomorrow after your meeting with Aro? Perhaps we can go shopping?"

"That sounds good," said Bella as they reached the end of the tunnel. "We'll see you tomorrow then."

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

The three men listened to the girls conversation in silence for a few minutes. "Your Isabella is very different," said Demetri.

Jasper felt his emotions and Demetri truly meant what he said about Bella and he could also sense curiosity and honesty, so Jasper answered him once he realized there was no hidden agenda behind the comment. Besides Peter was always right and his brother had sent him a text. "Yes she is and the first thing you need to remember is don't ever call her Isabella unless you want to lose a body part. Emmett, here called her Isabella like ten times in twenty minutes and he lost a hand because of it."

"Did you have to bring that up?" Emmett whined looking embarrassed.

"Yes, I did," Jasper smirked at his brother. "You brought it on yourself you know. How many times did she politely ask you to not call her that? I'm not surprised she finally lost her temper. Emmett tends to forget that Bella is no longer the frail human girl he once knew. Also she is still a newborn even if she doesn't act like one most of the time and therefore stronger then him. Bella has always hated her full name even I knew that and I didn't have much of a chance to know her while she was human, well not until we discovered we were mates anyway. I am the only one allowed to call her Isabella and get away with it as she claims she likes the way I say it. Anyway even Rose didn't have any sympathy for Emmett knowing he had brought it on himself. Bella refused to give him his hand back for more then a day and it was only after she made him promise to never call her Isabella again that she finally did."

"Why didn't you have a chance to know her?" asked Demetri.

"Edward," Jasper said simply. "I was drinking animal blood back then, like the rest of the Cullens, but I did have a little trouble with the diet and I suppose Edward was afraid that I would attack her. He never did like or trust me even though the rest of the family accepted me. He went out of his way to keep me away from her and as much as I hated him I tried not to cause friction within the family."

"Why would you want to switch to animal blood anyway?" asked Demetri with surprise and a raised eyebrow.

"It was just after I had escaped from my maker Maria with the help of my brother Peter and his mate Charlotte. Every time I fed on somebody I could feel the emotions of whoever it was. When I was first changed it didn't bother me but as the years went on it started to depress me more and more. I was so sick of blood and death that I only fed when I absolutely had to. I traveled for a while and then ran into Alice in Philadelphia. She had seen me in one of her visions and she convinced me to try drinking animal blood and told me all about the Cullens and the life they lived. Drinking animal blood did help and I didn't have to feel guilty for killing some innocent person. It was what I needed at the time after being one of the few vampires that had survived the southern wars and that is only because Peter and Charlotte came back for me a few years after I helped them to escape. It never occurred to me until recently that I could drink from criminals and not feel the guilt of drinking from someone innocent."

Demetri listened as Jasper told why he had switched to animal blood.

"Meeting the Cullens was one of the best things that had happened to me in a long time and most of them accepted me when they saw I was trying. All except fuckwad that is," Jasper added and smirked. "Like I really cared if that nosy, judgmental prick liked me or not. I will always be grateful to the Cullens because I might not have met Bella if I hadn't joined the family, not to mention gotten a great brother and sister." Jasper slapped Emmett on the back. "Emmett and Rose always accepted me for who I was and didn't try to change me which cannot be said for Alice or even Carlisle and Esme."

"Feeling someone's emotions must be hard," said Demetri.

"Well now that I don't feed off innocent people other peoples emotions don't bother me, well not unless I feel someone who is lusting after my mate, which has happened a few times. When that happens I just want to rip them apart, even though I know the attraction is part of being a vampire and Bella never pays attention to them anyway. She ignores them completely, it's as if they just don't exist for her. Of course I never pay attention to females lusting after me either so maybe it has something to do with the mating bond. I might have to ask Peter about that," Jasper said thoughtfully.

"Why would you ask him about the mating bond?" asked Demetri.

"Well for one thing he and Charlotte have been mated for a long time and so he would know more about it then I would and for another Peter just knows shit. He has never admitted to having a talent but sometimes he'll just know things that he shouldn't and he's helped me out a few times when he's gotten one of his hunches. He's always right so I've learned to listen to him when he has them. Peter and Charlotte are two of the few people I trust absolutely well besides Emmett, Rose and my Bella and they helped me a lot after they helped me escape from that bitch Maria. They came to visit me a few times while I was with the Cullens, but although Carlisle and Esme were polite they never understood why I kept in contact with them as they saw them as a bad influence on me since they have always drunk human blood and were unwilling to switch."

"I would think that would be obvious," said Demetri. "When you have fought together it creates a bond and they helped you when you needed it which in it's own way also creates a bond."

"I'm also their creator, it is my venom that flows through their veins and that creates a bond as well," added Jasper. "And as far as I know they, along with me are the only three to ever have escaped from Maria. I think the only reason Maria kept me around so long was because my talent was useful in controlling the newborns. I was her second in command but eventually I got sick of it so as I mentioned before when Peter and Charlotte came back for me I didn't need much convincing to leave with them."

"Most vampires would not have survived for so long in such situations, you must be one hell of a fighter," said Demetri admiringly.

"I am," said Jasper modestly. "Most vampires are afraid of my scars because it shows that I am dangerous and in fact Bella, Peter and Charlotte are the only ones that ever accepted me completely, scars and all."

"Hey!" Emmett protested looking offended.

"Well, Emmett, Rose, Peter, Charlotte and Bella," Jasper amended with a smile and a wink in Emmett's direction.

"I don't think you'll find that attitude among the guard as most of us have our own scars, although not as many."

"It was nice talking to you Demetri, I hope we can be friends," said Jasper shaking Demetri's hand just as they reached the end of the tunnel that led to their car.

"I'd like that," said Demetri.

End Flashback

It was several months later and the four of them had become very good friends and Chris's suspicions had diminished a great deal as they got out and did things together, but the one thing that both Chris and Sofia began to notice was that neither Jasper nor Bella ever ate with them, either in the lunchroom at the college or even when they were invited to go out for pizza or to dinner.

They always had some kind of legitimate excuse like Bella had to study in order to pass her classes or that Jasper was out of town on business but finally it came to a head about six months into their relationship.

"I tell you there's something strange about both Jasper and Bella," Chris argued with his sister. "For one thing they never accept our dinner invitations."

"So?" asked Sofia. "Maybe they just don't like to eat out."

"It's not just that it's other things," Chris told his sister quietly as they sat down on the couch of the living room of the apartment the Simmons had been kind enough to pay the rent on instead of them having to live in two separate dorm rooms.

"Like?" asked Sofia.

"Well they both seem to possess more knowledge then they actually should considering how young they look."

"Jasper explained that and you know it," Sofia argued.

"Also have you noticed how they move? Like predators, almost as if they were stalking some sort of prey," Chris continued ignoring his sister's statement completely. "Then there is the eyes, Jasper's especially."

"What about them?" asked Sofia not wanting to believe what her brother was saying but also knowing he had made several good points.

"Don't you think it is odd that Jasper has brown eyes the exact same shade as his wife's? I mean come on you would think with the blond hair his eyes would be blue or green."

"So maybe one of his parents had brown eyes and the other blond hair," Sofia suggested.

"It's also the fact that when you look him in the eyes they seem to be older then they should be, way older. Looking into his eyes it seems as if he has experienced and survived more then anybody his age should have been able to and also like he has lived for centuries and not just a mere twenty-three years."

"You're getting paranoid," Sofia told her brother. "I'll admit what you have said is true but that doesn't mean they are anything but what they seem to be."

"Okay how about this," said Chris. "No matter how hot it is or how much physical activity we have been involved in neither of them seem to sweat or ever get tired. We've been to several baseball games over the last few months in the heat and yet neither of them ever perspires and also we never get together on sunny days but only at night or when it is cloudy or rainy out.

"Maybe they both have skin conditions that prevents them from going out when it is to sunny," Sofia suggested getting tired of her brother's paranoia.

"Okay if this doesn't convince you nothing will," said Chris bringing up several articles he had discovered on the PADD that had been sitting beside him. "Read these and look at the pictures and tell me I'm just paranoid."

Sofia took the PADD from her brother and quickly skimmed the articles.

Murder of Police Chief Charlie Swan Rocks the Small Town of Forks Washington

It was the Saturday after school ended for the summer when Forks is shocked when Chief of Police Charles Swan was murdered when he tried to corral several high school boys who decided it would be a good idea to not only bring guns to a graduation party but take drugs as well. Along with Chief Swan affectionately known to the citizens as Charlie, several high school students were also killed, including Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley both aged 18. Charlie is survived by his ex-wife Renee Dwyer (nee Paulson) and one daughter Isabella Marie Swan aged 18 who was not at the graduation party that took place on the La Push Reservation at First Beach. The town of Forks will miss their favorite police chief as will his friends from the nearby La Push reservation.

Chief Swan's funeral was well attended by most of the citizens including Dr. Carlisle Cullen, his wife Esme and their children, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Alice.

(See the next page for end of article)

Sofia finished reading the short article and then looked at the pictures that had been provided without much interest until she saw one that could be a double for her friend Bella. The picture looked like it had been taken during Chief Swan's funeral and it showed Isabella Swan accepting a folded flag from a man in uniform and even in the black and white photograph Sofia could see the tears streaming down the girl's face as she accepted the flag with a quiet dignity. Finally Sofia looked at the other person who was standing beside her and gasped for he could be Jasper's double, as even the posture was the same, just like the girl in the photo could be Bella's.

Sofia finally looked at the date on the old newspaper articles and saw that is said August 17, 2006.

"This doesn't really prove anything," Sofia protested but was beginning to believe it despite herself.

"It's not conclusive if that is what you mean, but I checked back a hundred years and their has been only one Charlie Swan who was a police chief of Forks Washington and that is the one mentioned in the article. I also looked up the name Swan on the internet and cross referenced it with Forks Washington and their has never been another person by that name to live there, not after 2006 anyway. Also it is quite a coincidence don't you think that Charlie Swan had a daughter whose name just happens to be Isabella and isn't it also strange that both Jasper and Bella have mentioned the Cullens and that the first names are the same?"

Sofia looked like she was about to protest again then thought seriously about what her brother had discovered. "But that would make them over a hundred years old and if it is them, then how is it that they looked as if they haven't aged a day in all that time?"

"I don't know but I intend to find out," said Chris looking grim and determined.

"That probably isn't a good idea Christoph," Sofia told her brother quietly not wanting to believe that she had been lied to all this time. "What do you think they will do if they realize that we have discovered their secret or at least part of their secret? They are our friends I know but that doesn't mean they won't do something drastic like murder us and bury the bodies somewhere remote enough that we will never be discovered if they are cornered. Besides I'm still not totally convinced that you are right and it isn't just some kind of strange coincidence."

"Why don't you read the second article I managed to discover and if that doesn't convince you then nothing will," said Chris quietly still looking a little grim as like his sister he hated being lied to.

Sofia brought up the second article and like the first read it slowly.

Cullen House Burned

No Bodies Found

When Sofia finally looked up from reading the article she had tears in her eyes.

"So do you believe me now?" asked Chris quietly sympathetically putting his arm around his sister's shoulders.

"Yes, but what can we do about it? I mean they haven't harmed us and we have become pretty good friends with them. Besides did you notice that the article was pretty close to what Jasper told us what happened except for the fact that the police were never able to discover any survivors and that includes Bella if it really is her. Jasper told us basically what happened even if he left out some of the details and you tell me how does somebody like Bella who is as injured as she supposedly was just disappear off the face of the earth?"

"You remember when Jasper told us that he and his siblings came back from camping?" asked Chris and when Sofia nodded he continued, "I bet that they took her somewhere that they already had set up, somewhere far enough away that the police would never find them and that means it was probably out of state. You know as well as I do that Jasper is very protective of his wife, some might say overbearingly protective if it wasn't for the fact that Bella is the same way and neither seems to mind the overprotective attitude. Now what does that tell you?"

Sofia thought about for a minute then said, "It tells me that there is probably some sort of tragedy or accident in their pasts that makes them that way. It tells me that they love each other so much that neither can live without the other and it tells me despite the secrets that they are good people whether they are over a hundred years old or not. Also it tells me we should probably leave well enough alone before they are forced to do something they probably will not want to do but will if it means protecting their secret, which even if we don't know what it is doesn't mean it wouldn't be earth shattering if to many people discovered it and then told the world."

"You want me to leave this alone?" Chris protested who had a hard time ignoring any kind of mystery just like Bella before him had.

"Yes, I want you to leave this alone, Christoph. They are our friends and despite everything they told us as much of the truth as they were able and that wouldn't compromise whatever secret they are protecting. For all we know they could be aliens, ones we don't know about and who are protecting their species."

Chris laughed at that for even though the two were not aware of it Jasper had been right when he had told Bella all those years ago that he had believed it would be more than a hundred years before the humans race discovered a way into deep space and not just their solar system. The human race was now aware that alien species existed and had even met some of them. "I don't know that I can leave this alone, Sofia," Chris told his sister. "I agree that they did tell us as much of the truth as they could but for all we know they could be dangerous."

Sofia snorted at that, "I would think that would give you even more reason to leave this alone. Besides any animal is dangerous if backed into a corner and so long as we don't do that I don't believe they will harm us. If it is the same Bella and Jasper from that articles I doubt that they will tell us what they really are and also what would you do if someone brought up some major tragedy in your past just so they could question you about it and therefore bring the painful memories to the forefront of your mind? You wouldn't appreciate it if they did that to you so why should you do that to them? I mean if it is them they did lose half their family according to the article and I'm sure the memories are still painful for them even after all this time."

"You're right," Chris admitted. "I'm dying to know what they are though. You know me and my insatiable curiosity."

Sofia snorted in agreement and although she was curious as well she was smart enough to keep her suspicions to herself. "That's what I'm afraid of, you doing something stupid and getting yourself killed all because you were to curious to leave well enough alone."

Chris looked sheepish and then a little guilty but didn't respond to his sister's statement for he knew he couldn't as what she said was true. "What would I do without you to keep out of trouble?"

"You'd more than likely be dead," Sofia told him mock seriously giving him a hug.

"You're right," Chris acknowledged.

"Of course I am, aren't I always?" Sofia teased her twin.

"Usually," Chris said with a smile and laugh relieving the tension that had been present in the room since the conversation had begin

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"So what do you want to do tonight?" asked Jasper as the two of them sat on the couch cuddled together

"Well I thought that tonight we could maybe actually watch a movie for a change instead of pretending to while we make out," Bella said with a smirk at her husband.

"Don't deny that you enjoyed those make out sessions," said Jasper with a smirk of his own.

"I won't deny it and even if I did you would know that I was lying so I won't bother," said Bella with a roll of her eyes.

"Well if watching movies is what you want then that is what we will do but afterwards...," said Jasper.

"Afterwards I'm all yours," Bella promised seductively as she leaned up and gave her husband a very passionate opened mouth kiss with tongue.

Jasper gulped and then said after getting himself under control, "Keep that up and we won't be watching those movies as I will take you right here on the couch you little vixen."

"A vixen am I?" Bella purred teasingly loving the way Jasper still wanted her all the time even after they had been married for a hundred years. On more occasions then she could count he'd had trouble keeping his hands to himself no matter what they were doing and it pleased her that, that was still true even today. For a long time she had secretly feared that Jasper would eventually tire of her and then throw her aside like yesterday's trash mate bond notwithstanding, but it had been a hundred years and his lust and love for her had not faded one iota in all the time they had been together. In fact, if truth be known, it was even stronger today then it had been in the beginning simply because the mate bond had had time to mature and deepen. Jasper was always sending her his feelings and every time they washed over her she knew it was his way of telling her without words his feelings for her.

"Yes, you are and you know it," Jasper told her. "You take every opportunity you can to put your hands all over me and to tease me with that body of yours. Its not that I mind, but just so we are clear that you seduce me without even trying a lot of the time just as I seduce you."

"Can I help it if my love for you has only grown stronger over the years," Bella told him as she tenderly ran one hand through his hair. Jasper leaned into her touch and purred contently as both The Major part of him as well as the part that was Jasper just loved the touch of their mate and the fact was she was never shy in letting both sides of his personality know that she loved and adored both sides of him and always would. "I know that part of that love is the mate bond since that is how it works but most of it is the fact that to me at least you are very lovable, handsome and desirable. Also the fact that we know each other a lot better now then we did in the beginning is one of the main reasons that my love for you has only deepened. You treat me like an equal, which I can't say about anyone else in my life when I was human and that includes Jacob or even my own parents." Bella didn't bother to mention Edward and in fact his name was rarely, if ever mentioned anymore. "Jake thought he loved me and yet he was unwilling to treat me as anything but a best friend and I never thought of him in that way no matter how much he would have liked me to. I know he was only sixteen and he might have outgrown it if he hadn't been killed, but to me he was more a brother then potential boyfriend material as I'd known him all my life and as for everyone else they all got it into their heads that little Bella Swan had to be protected and didn't have a right to have her opinion listened to. The Quileutes, Billy in particular, kept giving me unwanted pieces of advice and told me that you guys were dangerous and I should stay away." Bella rolled her eyes as she remembered.

"Well technically we are dangerous we are after all predators," Jasper said teasingly.

"I know that, I've always known it, but the Cullens at least, all had that side of them under control and yes that includes you. I'll tell you what I thought the moment I met all of you and that was that despite being vampires you were all good people and at the time before I knew Edward very well that statement included him. You all did your best to not cause harm to anyone despite that drinking human blood was natural for you since you were vampires. All the Cullens went so far as to drink animal blood instead of human and I'm sure if Carlisle, Alice and Esme had lived that would still be true to this day. I'm not saying that any of you wouldn't have fought to protect those you loved if something threatened them, but fighting for that reason is different than fighting just because you can. Sure I knew that technically you were predators and supposedly dangerous but from the first moment I met the Cullens I felt more at home among you then I did with my own kind. Unlike most humans I knew even back then how to look past the surface of things to see what was underneath and I knew instantly that despite the fact that you were vampires you were still good people."

Jasper listened as Bella talked and when she finally finished he said, "Well I've told you before I always thought you were meant to be one of our kind and I was right wasn't I?"

"Yes, you were," Bella told him with a grin as she kissed him passionately. "Let's watch those movies shall we?" she added when she pulled back.  
Jasper groaned at the loss of contact but got up and went over to where they kept there collection of movies. "So what do you want to watch?"

Bella told him that she thought an action movie would be a good idea as they both liked them. It was a hundred years later and the technology had advanced so that DVD players were no longer used and in fact were in museums as antiques.

Now movies were kept on what looked like video game cartridges except much smaller and slicker.

Jasper selected a movie from their collection and inserted it into the player where it immediately started. Jasper came and sat down beside his wife and put his arm around her and Bella contently snuggled into his side as the movie began.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Look at what I discovered," Sofia told her brother softly. It was several weeks after Chris's startling discoveries and Sofia had been doing her own research in her free time not that she had much of that with studying and attending classes.

"What?" asked Chris as he came and peered at whatever his sister had found. "What is this?"

"I've been doing some research in my spare time trying to figure out what our friends are as you were right when you said that they weren't human. After I thought about it for a while I realized you had made some very good points and the two people in that picture at the funeral looked to much like our friends to not either be them or to be an ancestor or a twin."

Chris snorted at that one. "What are the odds that both of them come from twins? Besides that article was written a hundred years ago."

"That's true enough," Sofia admitted. "In any case I looked up the few things we know about them either because they told us or because we figured it out on our own."

"But vampires, Sofia?" asked Chris in disbelief. "Vampires don't exist, they are nothing but myths and legends. The next thing you are going to tell me is that leprechauns are real and if you do I will have to have you committed to the insane asylum."

"Look at the facts," Sofia began quietly. "One we have never seen them go out in sunlight only when it is cloudy, rainy or at night as you pointed out to me not to long ago. Two we have never seen them eat as they have refused all food related invitations. Three as you also pointed out both of them walk like predators. Four they never sweat or seem to get physically tired and finally five you were right when you said that their eyes are strange Jasper's especially and it is almost like they are wearing contacts in order to disguise them."

"But vampires," Chris protested again. "If they are vampires like you believe then why did they go to the trouble to make friends with us or why would Bella need to even go to college in the first place? And come to think about it why haven't they just killed us or half the students on campus for that matter? No it just doesn't make sense."

"Look at it from their point of view," Sofia began. "If some of the legends are right, they don't need to sleep so they have to have something to do with their time. Also vampires were once humans just like us and our species can get bored pretty easily unless we keep ourselves busy and imagine how much worse it is for a vampire who doesn't have the advantage of sleeping every night in order to wile away a few hours."

"But vampires are supposedly blood thirsty monsters that have no consciouses," Chris protested.

"And I'm sure some of them are, but also if they were once human then I'm sure some of those traits that they had carried over. In other words if you were a monster as a human then that is probably what you will be as a vampire."

"So you believe that because both Bella and Jasper weren't criminals or bullies or whatever as humans that those traits carried over into their immortal lives. If it's true how do you supposedly become a vampire anyway and why couldn't they just have told us what they were in the beginning?"

"Think about it for a minute, Chris," Sofia told her brother rolling her eyes. "What would you do if you were told you had made friends with a couple of vampires who supposedly drink human blood in order to survive?"

"Run away screaming and then probably try to tell people what I had found out," Chris admitted.

"If you lived that is for if the articles I found are at all accurate not much can harm their kind. They are much, much faster and stronger then us, have enhanced hearing and perfect eyesight even in the dark and have skin harder then titanium," Sofia told him. "If you actually got away it would be because they let you escape for whatever reason. Also if you really think about it you must realize that their kind probably has some form of government and I'm sure one of the main laws is that no humans can learn about them. I'm sure there are some pretty severe consequences if their laws are broken."

"Like what?" asked Chris.

"Death probably, it's what I would do if I was trying to keep such a humongous secret and I don't just mean death for the vampire or vampires in question but probably for the humans who were aware that such mythical creatures were real as well."

"Or maybe transformation into one of their kind," Chris suggested softly.

"You have a point," Sofia said looking at the picture of Bella at the funeral again and although the photo was grainy she could tell that their were certain subtle differences. For one thing she was pretty sure vampires couldn't cry since they didn't drink water and therefore their tear ducts would not have any moisture in which could leak when they were sad or upset. "I'm pretty sure that Bella was still human when she attended her father's funeral in one of the photo that goes with that newspaper articles you had me read."

"You know maybe she was more injured during that house fire then Jasper let on so that the only way to save her life was to change her into one of his kind," Chris suggested.

"Or maybe like us she figured out the Cullens secret and confronted them about it and instead of killing her they accepted as a member of the family. Also perhaps she accepted the fact that since she knew their secret she was going to become one of their kind eventually."

"Why didn't they change her immediately?" Chris wondered.

"Well if you remember from Bella's story she came to Forks to live with her father after her mother remarried and she also said at that time that she finished her last year of high school there. So thinking logically the Cullens probably wanted her to finish her last year of high school and then I assume she would presumably go away to college where she would then be transformed as that is a natural time to cut ties."

Chris contemplated that for a moment then decided that his sister was probably right. "And then her father died so that didn't happen," Chris guessed.

"They probably wanted her to grieve properly for him before they went through with it, but thanks to the fire that happened only six weeks or so later she had to be changed earlier or she would probably be really and truly dead," Sofia finished looking a little sad at the thought of all her friend had gone through.

"But why not just kill her when they discovered their secret?" Chris wondered

"Well she was the daughter of the police chief and I'm sure that Chief Swan would have spared no resources or expense to find out who had murdered his only child," said Sofia

"They could have made it look like an accident," Chris pointed out.

"That's true enough but if you remember from that first articles Carlisle Cullen was a doctor which meant that not only did he truly care about people but he was around blood every day and if he really was a vampire then that is truly extraordinary to be around what is your natural food source and yet have the resistance to practice medicine day in and day out and the rest of the family was more than likely the same."

"You've made a good point," Chris admitted looking thoughtful.

"Only one?" Sofia teased her brother.

"Okay, okay, several," Chris said holding up his hands in mock defeat.

"You got that right," said Sofia with a triumphant smirk.

The twins fell silent and just sat there for a few minutes trying to absorb what they knew and beginning to really wonder if it was all true but on the other hand what other explanation was there, one that made any sense.

Flashback

"So why did you tell Demetri so much of your past?" asked Emmett curiously. "I mean you don't usually like to talk about it."

"Well the reason I never talk about it is none of the Cullens have ever been in a battle and therefore they wouldn't understand if I had. With them they just tried to erase my past as if it didn't exist but even if they could forget about it I certainly can't as much as I might want to. Demetri has been in some similar situations to me and so I knew he would understand where the rest of the Cullens didn't, well except for you, Rosalie and Bella. Even though none of you have never been in a battle yourselves you seem to instinctually understand when I talk about my past and Rosalie did kill off those men who raped her so even though that was more a massacre then an actual battle it still has similar elements to it. You two never judged me and besides Bella you are the only two who never did. Even though Carlisle and Esme accepted me into the family they never even tried to understand my past and thought I should be ashamed of it even though I had never known any different."

Emmett listened as Jasper explained his reasoning in telling so much to Demetri.

"And also I checked his emotions and he had no ulterior motive other then curiosity. I think we can become good friends over time and did I mention that Peter sent me a text," Jasper added showing Emmett the text message Peter had sent.

'Trust the two guards who are waiting for you, and come and visit as soon as you can. We want to meet your mate and Char is anxious to have another woman to talk to.'

"Peter is never wrong as you well know and he wouldn't tell me to trust Demetri or Jane if he wasn't sure they could be trusted."

Emmett nodded seeming to understand and Jasper knew that he was smarter most people gave him credit for. He liked to pull pranks sure and he was a fun loving guy but that didn't mean he was stupid.

"So when are you going to introduce Bella to Peter and Charlotte?" asked Emmett who along with Rose had always liked them even if the rest of the Cullens hadn't.

"I've been meaning to do that for the last couple of months and now that I know she can handle being around other vampires maybe I'll invite Peter and Char to visit us here since it looks as if we'll be in Italy for a while. She handled talking to Aro like a pro and as nervous as she was before we got there, well I was really proud of her, that she overcame her nervousness."

"She wasn't nervous at all?" asked Emmett in astonishment. "I thought it was just an act."

"Nope she wasn't nervous at all as I would have felt that and I didn't."

"Well thank goodness for that," said Emmett. "Bella is really coming into her own isn't she? I mean she was so different when she was with fuckwad, you know what I mean."

"Yes more quiet, trying to fade into the background," said Jasper. "He never did treat her right not even in the very beginning."

"Thinking back I can see that now," said Emmett shaking his head. "I guess I just never paid attention before."

"I did, but I didn't know what I could do about it at the time. I stayed away from her more for her sake then his. I thought as long as she was truly happy then I would stay in the background and not cause problems."

Emmett snorted, "Even I can tell that she is happier with you then she ever was with him and I don't usually pay attention to that kind of thing. I've also been wondering something," he added after a moment.

"What?"

"When are you going to make an honest woman out of my baby sister?"

Jasper looked around and made sure that Bella and Rosalie were not within hearing distance then replied, "I've been thinking about it, a lot actually, but I don't want to bring it up quite so soon. You might not know this, but Bella is slightly skittish at the idea of marriage due largely to her parents divorce when she was just a baby. I'm not even sure if she even wants to get married."

"She might not have wanted to marry if she had fallen in love with your ordinary guy, but you two are mates and that makes a huge difference," said Emmett. "I can ask Rosalie to try to get Bella to tell her how she feels about marriage for you, if you want."

"Thanks," said Jasper.

"You're welcome," said Emmett. "I just want out make an honest woman of my baby sister."

"You better not ever let her hear you say that if you don't want to lose another limb," said Jasper laughing. "She is still a newborn after all and will be for another six months."

Emmett grumbled but knew Jasper was right as he had learned the hard way that there were certain subjects that were off limits her full name and probably comments like making an honest woman out of her were definitely on the list. Emmett wasn't anxious to lose another limb quite so soon after just having gotten his hand back not more then a month ago. Bella had turned into a strong determined woman who stood up for herself thanks to Rose's and Jasper's encouragement and she didn't take any shit from anyone including her big brother.

"All right, I won't bring it up," Emmett promised.

"Wise decision," Jasper murmured.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"So what do think of me inviting Peter and Charlotte for a visit?" asked Jasper and he and Bella laid in the hot tub with her between Jasper's legs and her head against his chest. "They've been wanting to meet you ever since I told them about you months ago."

"I don't know," said Bella looking anxious.

"Why don't you want to meet them?" asked Jasper.

"It's not that I don't want to meet them I'm just afraid," Bella admitted looking sheepish and ashamed.

"Afraid of what?" asked Jasper trying to understand as he ran a hand through Bella's brown hair soothingly.

"Afraid they won't like me," Bella admitted in a small voice.

"Oh, Bella," Jasper said shaking his head, "the things you choose to fear. There is no need to worry they will love you, I guarantee it and if I happen to be wrong I'll throw Peter some pain and you can use your shield on him," he added with humor lacing his voice.

Bella laughed and Jasper was happy to hear it as he felt her worry ease a little.

"I've always been nervous meeting new people, especially significant people," said Bella, "and they are your family."

"But so are Rose and Emmett and you love them," Jasper pointed out.

"But I knew them before, you know that. Peter and Charlotte have helped you out of a few tough spots and I guess I am afraid that they'll think I'm taking you away from them."

"There's no need to worry," Jasper told her. "Both Peter and Char have been texting me wanting to know when they can meet you. When I told them about you right after I had discovered that we were mates they were so happy for me because they knew that Alice, although I loved her, wasn't my mate."

"You've been telling them about me?" asked Bella trying to figure out how she should feel about that. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to put any added pressure on you not while our relationship was so new," Jasper explained. "It was Peter that contacted me while we were out hunting that time just before you were changed. Although he has never admitted to having a power sometimes he just knows shit and he's always right. In a way it's similar to Alice's power except he gets hunches instead of seeing the future and it doesn't happen nearly as often as with Alice's gift. Anyway he texted me while we were on our hunting trip and told me I had better get home or I could lose you forever."

"Is that why you came back early?" asked Bella. "I wondered, but didn't feel like I had the right to ask."

"That's why and it's a damn good thing I listened to him or you probably would have died. If you had died, Bella I'm not lying to say that it would have destroyed me and I would have found a way to follow you."

"Oh, Jasper no," Bella protested turning around to face him giving him a kiss as well as sending him her love, "You must promise me that if anything does happen to me that you will continue to live."

"Bella, I can't promise you that, I won't," Jasper told her sounding broken at the thought of losing her permanently. "How would you feel if you lost me, permanently?"

"I wouldn't be able to survive," Bella answered immediately, "Now that I have found you I know I wouldn't live long if you were gone."

"See that is exactly how I feel. One mate very rarely survives without the other and in fact the only one I know of is Marcus and I believe that is only because of the bond he had with his brothers."

"I thought you said you weren't sure that that story was true," said Bella with a raised eyebrow.

"I wasn't until I felt his emotions during our meeting. There was a deep sadness, sorrow, pain, guilt, apathy and a little anger. You don't have those kind of emotions all together, especially after so long, unless you have lost someone you loved and cared for deeply and the only person I can think of that fits that description is a mate. You can survive losing almost anyone else, but losing a mate is different then losing say a brother or sister even those related by blood. Mates are two halves of a whole and one without the other is incomplete."

"Well I guess we'll just have to make sure that nothing happens to either one of us won't we, cowboy?" said Bella seriously giving him a kiss that soon grew passionate.

"Yes we will," Jasper agreed gasping for breath even though he didn't technically need to breathe as Bella finally broke the kiss, but only so she could start kissing his chest and then his stomach not caring that part of it was underwater.

Jasper threw back his head as he moaned and then purred as Bella lowered herself onto his already hard cock and speared herself on it, going up and down several times growling in pleasure until they both quickly reached their climaxes and came so hard that some of the water sloshed out of the hot tub.

"Damn!" Jasper exclaimed as he came down from his orgasm.

Bella purred in pleasure and laid her head on his chest as she didn't want to move since they were still connected to each other.

"You don't think we are done do you darlin'?" asked Jasper seductively with a smirk. "Oh no, if I have my way we'll be making love for hours, if not days."

"We do have that meeting with the kings in a few hours," Bella pointed out purring seductively.

"Well, I'll just keep you busy until then," said Jasper kissing his mate's lips his tongue demanding entrance which Bella immediately granted him moaning in pleasure as their tongues intertwined with each others.

The kiss quickly grew heated and and when they finally broke away Jasper immediately started kissing along Bella's mating mark causing her to groan as that was a very sensitive area for her. Bella immediately threw back her head giving Jasper better access to her neck and Jasper complied to the silent demand and started kissing along it and when he finally got to her breasts he took one of them into his hand as he bit and licked the other one.

Bella moaned as the pleasure within her began to build and she started to also kiss Jasper along his mating mark and then behind his earlobe which she knew from experience was very sensitive to her touch.

"Oh Bella," Jasper growled into her ear and he moved down to her pussy and stuck his tongue up it until it hit her clit and all it took was him licking her in that spot a few times before a powerful orgasm ripped through her and she came all over his tongue which was still stuck up her genitalia. Jasper gulped, licked and swallowed every single drop of his mate's orgasm before removing his tongue.

"You taste absolutely heavenly," said Jasper.

"Well you would know," Bella said with a chuckle as she started to kiss his neck and then his chest playing with his nipples by licking them into little peaks.

Jasper groaned and then purred and the two of them spent the next few hours making love before they were meant to meet the kings.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Thank you for coming," said Aro as Jasper and Bella took seats at the table. The three kings had been nice enough to see them alone without an audience and Bella was more then grateful as she never had liked being the center of attention even as a human. A servant came in a second later with a pitcher of blood and five crystal glasses.

"What can we do for the Volturi?" asked Jasper as he took a sip of the offered glass of blood as he felt everyone's emotions looking for deception or danger but didn't find any. In fact all he found was awe and a little fear coming from them and he guessed he did have kind of a reputation among the vampire community as someone not to be crossed and his scars helped with that reputation he supposed.

"Well I saw in your mind that you were thinking about becoming a consultant for us and handling situations that would take your kind of skills," said Aro.

"I was thinking about it," Jasper admitted. "Both of us need something to do with our time and we both enjoy a little adventure and danger."

"And Isabella I saw through Jasper's mind what you did to your mother and stepfather,"

Aro began. "And that is the kind of viciousness we can use in certain situations."

"It's just Bella, please," responded Bella taking a sip of the blood. "As for what I did to my former mother and stepfather I think they deserved what they got. Normally I'm a very forgiving individual but when Renee doesn't even show up for her ex-husband's funeral even when she said she would be there and with everything else that happened well...you get the idea. She didn't even bother to send me a fucking email to let me know that something had come up at the last minute so she couldn't make it, which even if it had been a lie would have been the proper thing to do."

"Yes I saw what you told Rosalie and Jasper about how you grew up," said Aro taking a sip of his glass of blood. "There's only so much somebody can take before they snap and when your mother and stepfather didn't even show up when you buried your father I saw how you had reached your limit of the bullshit you were going to take from them."

Jasper was pleased that the rulers of the vampire world had taken the time to talk with them privately as it made them seem more real. It was nice to see.

"And your emotions of course are stronger as a vampire," Marcus added.

"I know that," said Bella, "but even if I had still been human I'm sure I would have done something to them, what I don't know. I'm not so innocent that I don't know that violence is part of the human race for if it wasn't they wouldn't need things like police, the national guard or any of a number of agencies geared towards catching criminals. And as you said everyone has a breaking point and I guess I had reached mine. What I remember from my childhood is neglect piled atop neglect where I was basically left to grow up on my own," Bella looked pensive for a moment, "and while Charlie might not have been the most affectionate person out there at least he was concerned about my wellbeing and I knew he loved me. He was disappointed though when I never took to fishing since it was his favorite activity on his days off. It was practically an obsession with him."

"You seem to remember a great deal," Caius commented as he put his half empty glass back on the table.

"More about my father then my mother," said Bella with a shrug. "Perhaps it is because I lived with him doing my last year of high school and therefore the memories are more recent as I was changed just a few months later."

"It might also have to do with the fact that you are the most controlled newborn I have ever seen and therefore have time to think about some of your memories," said Aro

"Most newborns as I'm sure you know are very uncontrolled and it is doing their first year that they lose most of their human memories."

"Anyway back to the reason we called you here," said Marcus. "We want to offer you a position with us as consultants for a minimum of ten years and of course you are welcome to renew at the end of that time or go your own way."

"What exactly would we be doing?" asked Jasper.

"We are starting to get into the drug trade," Aro explained. "It is a way to provide us with meals and humans are going to consume that shit regardless so it is not like we are forcing them to use it."

"Most of our kind nowadays feed off criminals instead of the innocent," Caius explained. "With the way things are in this day and age if some upstanding citizen disappears a lot of times thanks, to radio, television, the internet and newspapers there's a big hue and cry about it, but nobody cares if a drug dealer, smuggler, mugger or other criminal vanishes."

"So what you would be doing is traveling and taking care of certain humans in the drug trade who don't want to cooperate with us. We plan on staying behind the scenes," said Aro.

"So you are going to be supplying drugs to humans," said Bella remembering what she had been told after father had been shot, "and you are right that they will always find a way to mess themselves up whether it is with drugs or something else."

"And it is a good way to provide us with meals," said Jasper looking thoughtful having never thought about it that way before or that it was common for most of their kind to feed off criminals instead of the innocent.

"We wouldn't actually be selling the drugs would we?" asked Bella.

"Oh no both of you are to talented for that we would actually have humans doing that part and they will never know that the people they are working for are vampires," said Aro with a chuckle. "I saw in your family's memories how they have been training you to protect yourself and you are very skilled for one so young."

"What can I say, except that with my now perfect memory, strength, speed and the fact that I am no longer accident prone learning to fight has been a piece of cake. I never would have dared try learning this kind of thing if I was still human for if I had I would have ended up with at least one broken bone if not more."

"Yes I saw how you used to be able to trip on air," Aro chuckled and Bella shrugged looking embarrassed. "And how Emmett likes to still tease you about it."

"Yes, well, I got Emmett back when I beat him at arm wrestling," said Bella with a smirk. "I'm sure in another few months I won't have a hope in hell of winning against him once my strength fades to normal so I am going to take as many opportunities as I can to beat him before then."

"You must love him very much as you took his last name after your change," said Marcus quietly.

"Well I couldn't really use Swan in case anybody is looking for me so I thought using Emmett's last name was a good idea. He's always been my big brother and always treated me like a little sister so it seemed appropriate."

"Emmett was thrilled and didn't stop grinning for days," said Jasper with a chuckle. "You made him really happy by taking his last name and the emotions he was sending out were strong enough to knock out an ox."

"So what do you think about our offer?" asked Caius.

"Well," said Bella thoughtfully turning serious again, "I think we should try it for a few years and then at the end of our contract we can renew or not."

"Yes I agree, so we accept your offer," said Jasper.

"Splendid!" Aro exclaimed. "Now we will talk about payment."

"Money is always good," said Jasper, "even though we don't necessarily need it as we have plenty stashed away. Rosalie, Emmett and I made sure we cleared out the Cullen accounts and Alice's as well seeing as they no longer had need of them and Carlisle planned for this eventually anyway even if he didn't actually think it was going to happen, especially not by a family member, so we all had access to their accounts as well as ours. Between Carlisle's and Esme's account as well as Alice's well let's just say even splitting it four ways we aren't going to run out of money for a long, long, long time. Plus there was the money I already had stored away from investments and such."

"You can't ever have to much cash," said Caius.

"That's true, since our kind lives forever."

"So our offer is 100,000 for each job completed," said Aro.

"That seems fair," Jasper agreed and Bella nodded not saying it seemed like an outrageous amount.

"We'll also supply the tools you need like C4 and whatever else you need," said Caius.

"That's fair my only request is you wait until Bella is past her newborn year which is in six months take a few days. She's doing extremely well but I would still feel better if we waited until then and let her get a little more used to being a vampire."

"That's fair," all three brothers agreed. "So the contract you sign will not start until the last week of September."

"And we will of course supply you with a secure line so you can contact us at any time," said Marcus.

"Well I suppose we had better find somewhere to live then," said Jasper. "The house in Alaska was a good place to take Bella for her newborn year as it is out in the middle of nowhere, but it holds to many memories for me, Emmett and Rosalie to stay there permanently."

"Just contact us when you find a place so we know where to send the equipment," said Aro.

"I will," Jasper promised them.

"And we will contact you when we have found Edward as well," said Caius.

"Yes, thank you," said Jasper. "We do request when you find him that our family gets to deal with him."

"Oh and what do you have planned for your former brother?" asked Aro with a smirk. "As if we didn't know."

"Well first off, I thought we'd do something similar to what we did to Renee and Phil," said Bella with an evil smirk.

"Except worse," added Jasper being on the same page as his mate.

"Exactly because as far as I know Renee and Phil never actually killed anybody much less someone we cared about. All Phil did was not show up for Charlie's funeral and Renee neglected me it's true but she never actually abused me."

"And therefore what we did to Bella's mother and stepfather will seem like a walk in the park to what we plan to do to him. Besides Edward is a vampire and he can't actually die unless we set him on fire. We could keep up the torture for weeks or even months if we really wanted to," said Jasper with an evil smirk not feeling the least bit guilty for thinking about ways to torture his former brother, slowly.

"Have you ever had someone that had hurt you so bad that you just wanted to hurt them in return?" Bella asked the three kings.

"Once," said Marcus softly looking pensive and sad at the same time, "When we caught the vampire that killed my mate Didyme I tortured him for weeks until I finally ended his existence. It did make me feel slightly better and gave me some closure, but still my Didyme is gone and nothing can bring her back."

"Well I know Carlisle and Esme weren't really my parents but I loved them like they were and Alice was my sister, now what would you want to do to somebody who took away someone you loved like that and not just one person, but three?"

"Torture them until they begged for mercy and then torture them some more," said Aro with a smirk looking not at all disturbed at that possibility.

"Exactly," said Bella. "Edward took three people that I considered family and nearly killed me as well and what makes it worse in my book though is that fuckwad killed off the man that gave him a second chance at life when he was dying of the Spanish influenza in 1917. Carlisle always treated him like a son and to do that to somebody that loved you is just despicable. I could have understood it if he had been abused but Carlisle and Esme were two of the most gentle, compassionate souls I've ever known and they loved him and he not only threw that love back in their faces, but he stepped all over it and smashed it into miniscule bits."

"You know what really makes it so sweet though?" asked Jasper with an evil smirk.

"What?" asked Caius curiosity coming off him, off all three really.

"The fact that Edward will never believe that Bella is not only capable of drinking from humans and that she made the decision on her own to do so, but that in certain circumstances she is also willing to cause pain and torture to someone. When they were dating she just kind of faded into the background you know and he never listened to her opinion or if he did it went in one ear and out the other."

"I was kind of stupid back then in trying to get Edward to notice me. I liked him so much I was willing to subdue the strong independent woman I always had been and be what he needed. So fuckwad never really got to know the real me and will assume that I am being lied to by Jasper, that he is controlling my emotions and that he forced me to drink human blood even though like Jasper said it was my choice as I could have chosen to drink from animals as he gave me the option."

All three kings started to smirk at Jasper's and Bella's words for they could be as bloodthirsty as the next vampire when they were pissed off.

"Boy is Young Edward in for a surprise," said Aro with a pleased smirk for he and Carlisle had been brothers at one time despite their differing diets. "I saw from your family's memories how you used to be just like Jasper described."

"Well when I finally figured out that he always treated me like some kind of fucking china doll that had a brain of sawdust I finally got over my crush on him. He'll never believe it though, he'll want to believe that I still love him and that I will run right back into his arms."

"Edward always was stubborn and will believe what he wants to believe," Jasper added quietly.

"And let's not forget stupid," Bella added. "You can be smart in certain ways and very stupid in others. I'm not saying that Edward isn't very intelligent bookwise, but he doesn't know crap about people in general. He knows how to act appropriately because he can read everybody's thoughts and because of that he never learned how to act like a gentleman or of he did know how before he was changed he has forgotten. He is used to having everything just handed to him on a silver platter instead of having to earn it which also makes him spoiled and used to getting his way. The one time he is denied something he really wants look at what happens."

All four men were nodding at Bella's analysis. "That's very astute," Caius observed with a half smile on his usually dour face.

"Thanks," said Bella trying to not appear embarrassed. "Edward might not realize it, but when we were dating I learned quite a bit about his personality and what I discovered I didn't like one bit and that was why I made the decision to break up with him even if I never got the chance."

"We will of course have to determine his guilt," said Aro. "But as soon as I touch him I am sure that won't be a problem."

"It couldn't be anyone else," said Jasper firmly. "No one outside the family knew of Alice's gift much less how to get around it. That kind of information could only have been known from someone within the family and since Edward is the only one missing it had to be him."

"Well since I read your family's memories I know the three of you didn't have anything to do with it so it has to be Young Edward," said Aro.

"Did anyone ever think that Edward might be insane enough to come after me or the rest of the family?" asked Bella after a moment. "I'm sure he doesn't realize I am a vampire and once he does I'm sure he is going to try to get me to come with him and to love him again. That was one of fuckwad's main hangups you know, he claimed he loved me so much and yet he never wanted to change me into a vampire. He fed me some garbage about how he didn't want me to lose my soul. I know now that if we really had been mates that he would have wanted to change me so we could always be together and yet he went out of his way to suck the venom out of my wrist in Phoenix when James was after me instead of letting me finish the change."

"She does have a good point," said Jasper looking thoughtful. "It is entirely possible that Edward is insane enough to try and kidnap her and then try to convince her that he is her mate. Of course if he tries he is in for a bit of a surprise as Rosalie and Emmett have been teaching her to fight. I would do it myself, but since we are mates we cannot harm each other and trying to use our powers against each other is nearly impossible. I can send her positive emotions, but it's a lot harder to send her pain, hate, anger or anything negative. Also Bella has an advantage that none of the rest of us has and that's the fact that he can't read her thoughts and so can't determine her next move."

"And I cannot use my shield on Jasper in a way that would hurt him. I can shield him from danger or to keep someone like fuckwad from reading his thoughts but I cannot use it to hurt him."

"Well since you both have such strong talents that would be useful in battle situations that's not really surprising," said Caius. "Mates are two halves of a whole after all and when one soul recognizes another of course you wouldn't be able to harm your other half. I believe the human term is soulmates."

"Well it doesn't really matter as I have taught Rose everything I know so she is a good teacher and I know that she can be trusted to not do any permanent or irreversible damage. She loves Bella too and thinks of her as a sister just like Emmett does even if they had a rough beginning."

"Oh he is in for a surprise alright if he gets anywhere near me," Bella said with an evil smirk. "He is going to assume that I haven't been taught to defend myself and that I will be defenceless."

"Fuckwad really can be an idiot sometimes and he thinks he knows all about me and what I'm like just because he could read my thoughts and he is going to assume that I like him wouldn't teach Bella how to fight. I know how Edward thinks as I did live with him and the Cullens for almost seventy years after all. I am a strategist who knows how to study his enemy without making it obvious as to what I am doing and from the very first moment we met I considered Edward an enemy as he never made a secret out of the fact that he didn't like me because of my past. He never saw the fact that just because of my violent past it did not dictate who I am today or maybe a better explanation is that he refused to see it. Edward can be quite stubborn and refused to see that people could change. Even vampires can change if they really want to. I know for a fact that if Bella eventually had been changed into a vampire and they had stayed together he wouldn't have taught her how to protect herself and left her defenceless thinking as always that he knew what was best for her even if it wasn't true."

"Which is stupid to my way of thinking," said Bella. "I mean assuming that Jasper and I weren't mates and Edward and me had stayed together what if he went off on some business or something and then I was attacked and because I was never taught to defend myself I'm killed."

"That would have been the likely scenario if she had stayed with Edward," said Jasper quietly. "I'm nothing like that piece of shit and of course I'm going to teach my Bella how to fight. I want her to be able to protect herself if she's alone for whatever reason. There's a lot of nomads out there that would attack her just because she was alone and I know that I can't be with her all the time."

"Yes that's true enough," said Caius. "I suppose in a way we are like the humans we feed on, some humans are good and would never cause harm to anyone but then there are those out there that just love to cause harm to others. In that way us vampires are the same as some like your friend Carlisle go out of their way to help people but others like some of the nomads cause as much harm as they can."

"Well at one time we were all human," Marcus pointed out.

"I know that," said Caius irritably almost throwing his now empty glass at his brother's head where it smashed against the wall the crystal shattering.

Aro chuckled as he watched his two brothers. "This happens all the time. It's been going on for several centuries in fact."

After another half an hour of talking Bella and Jasper left and headed out hunt as Bella was still a newborn and it was more then three days since she had fed.

End Flashback

Several months later it was near the end of the school year and and the two humans and two vampire's had become even better friend then they had been before although more then once both Chris and Sofia caught either Jasper or Bella looking at them their expressions unreadable and they nervously wondered what the deal was, but neither ever said anything so they didn't either.

It was late at night and both Sofia and Chris were walking home from studying at the library when suddenly a man came out of nowhere and held and old fashioned switchblade in one hand and a very modern gun in the other, the kind that shot a type of laser beam that could fry you instantly if the setting was high enough.

"Hand over all you money and maybe I'll let you live," the man immediately demanded.

"We don't have much money," Chris protested looking defiant while sizing the man up. "We're just a couple of college students."

"Hand over what you have," the dark haired man demanded roughly. "If you don't in the next thirty seconds I'll have to mess up your beautiful girlfriend. Hell I might do that anyway as it's been a long time since I've been laid."

"Don't you dare touch a hair on my sister's head," Chris said looking ready for a fight as he was already clenching his fists at his sides.

"Sister is it," the man said looking Sofia up and down leering the entire time as he took in her slim athletic form. "I will enjoy violating you, watching you scream, watching you beg, watching you cry. The sounds you make as you beg for mercy will be like ambrosia to my ears and I promise to make it last as long as possible before I finally put you out of your misery."

Sofia whimpered at the words and shrank back a little and Chris growled low in his throat looking ready to leap at the man and damn the consequences.

"And I will enjoy watching your brother struggle as he tries to get free to help you only to fail in the end and delight in the fact that he couldn't save you before I kill him as well."

"Just do what he wants Chris," Sofia told him quietly still looking afraid, but also defiant. "I don't want to have to go to your funeral."

"Like hell," Chris said angrily looking about ready to punch the guy out despite the fact that he had a very dangerous gun in one hand and a knife in the other. No matter what he did both could cause some serious damage.

"Chris," Sofia warned quietly.

"All right, fine," Chris said digging into his back pocket and withdrawing his wallet, throwing it at the man's feet

"You're necklace, girl," the man demanded. "And your ring."

"No," Chris protested knowing that the necklace had been a gift from their parents right before their deaths.

"The necklace doesn't matter, Chris, our lives do," Sofia said as she undid the clasp and handed it over to the man along with her ring.

"What the hell I think I'll have you anyway girl and make your brother watch as I rape you and then kill you slowly after I'm done," said the man evilly as he reached out for Sofia.

"No!" Chris yelled lunging forward hoping to have the element of surprise

Several things happened at once after that for just as Chris lunged forward there was a blur of movement off to the side and the robber also lunged forward at the same time. What happened next was anticlimactic but suddenly Chris yelled out in pain and collapsed onto the pavement clutching is side while Sofia yelled out in horror rushing to her brother's side.

"Somebody help," Sofia yelled, sobbing as she tried her best to staunch the flow of blood flowing from the wound.

"Here, let me help," said a soft familiar, musical voice.

Sofia looked up and was flabbergasted to see her friend Bella kneeling beside her. "What can you do?" asked Sofia watching as Bella got a very strange look on her face that seemed to be saying that she was struggling with her control which just confirmed what Sofia already knew and that the best friend she ever had was a vampire.

"Here, let me take over," said Jasper softly coming over and kneeling beside Bella having felt her internal struggle to not drain her friend dry. That she had resisted at all, especially with so much blood flowing out of the wound was frankly a bloody miracle for having that much blood flowing in front of a vampire was like putting a nice, big juicy, piece of meat in front of tiger. Jasper took off his shirt and stuffed it into the wound which slowed the flow of blood to just a trickle although his shirt was becoming quickly soaked. "Why don't you go and watch that man I knocked out?"

Bella nodded stiffly, rose to her feet in one swift movement and was gone in a half second seeming to literally vanish into the air she moved so fast.

Jasper examined the wound as best he could around Sofia's hands, removing his shirt just long enough to do so before replacing it then said softly, "I don't think he will survive a trip to the hospital. The wound is just to serious and he's leaking blood like a faucet even with my shirt to staunch the flow a little."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Sofia pleaded. "He's the only family I have left."

"There is one option, but I warn you if you decided to do it, it is a hard life in some ways."

"You mean turning him into what you are?" asked Sofia not saying the word vampire.

Jasper looked up sharply and studied Sofia intently for a few seconds his red eyes boring into hers causing Sofia to shiver a little in fear even though she knew deep down that neither him nor Bella would hurt her. After a few seconds Jasper seemed to come to some kind of decision and said, "Bella and I suspected you had figured out our secret, but since you didn't say anything we didn't. Now the only choices I see before you are to either take him to the hospital and hope like hell that he makes it or if he does make it to the hospital hope the doctors can do something for him." Jasper paused and before he could continue Sofia asked softly, "And the other?"

"I can turn him into one our kind, but the transformation is very painful and some don't survive it. Even if he does survive the change it is a hard life in a lot of ways."

"I don't want to make that kind of decision for him," said Sofia softly. "It should be his choice don't you think? As much as I love my brother I don't want him to resent me for making a decision like that without consulting him."

"I can wake him up enough for you to ask him if that's what you want," said Jasper, "but you also must accept that if he says no then that will be the end of it."

Sofia nodded hoping like hell that Chris said yes because she didn't want to lose her brother.

Jasper looked down at Chris and without speaking or moving started using his empathic ability on Chris's unconscious form.

Chris groaned and opened his eyes although they were dim with intense pain. "Chris, you must listen carefully to what Jasper has to say. Do you understand me brother?"

"Sofia," Chris groaned his sister's name, "I understand."

"Chris, you have two choices, I can either take you to the hospital and we can hope that the doctors can save you although with all the blood you've lost I don't know if even with today's technology if that's possible and the other choice is I can turn you into one of my kind, but I warn you now that the transformation is very painful and some don't survive it."

"What about Sofia? Will she be transformed as well?" asked Chris with a groan.

"If that's what you wanted then I would be willing to go through it just so we would be together," said Sofia softly.

Jasper looked at her sharply and again looked deep into her eyes as if trying to see into her very soul, but finally he seemed to see whatever it was that he wanted to and nodded as if to silently say that he was willing even though she wasn't hurt.

"Then the answer is yes," said Chris before groaning in pain.

"Very well then, Bella bring the car around would you," said Jasper softly, so softly that Sofia was worried that Bella wouldn't hear him but apparently their hearing abilities were very enhanced and Bella gave a soft acknowledgement from wherever she was watching over the man that had decided it was a good idea to mug a couple of college kids.  
"Now Sofia since you weren't hurt I'm going to wait until we get home to bite you but I am going to bite your brother now. The sooner we do the better it will be for him," said Jasper.

"Bite?" asked Sofia not quite understanding.

"In order to inject my venom into his bloodstream I must bite him in several key places each time injecting as much of my venom as possible into his system," Jasper explained. "The more venom I inject the quicker the change will take place and the quicker that wound in his side will heal."

Sofia nodded in understanding and Jasper leaned down removing Chris's shirt then immediately biting into the side of his neck right over the vein. Once he had replaced some of Chris's blood with his venom he immediately moved down and rolled up Chris's pants leg's and removing his boots and socks before biting into each ankle while at the same time injecting as much of his venom as he possibly could just like he had done at the neck. Finally Jasper bit into each wrist right where the veins pulsed just beneath the skin and did the same thing for a third time.

"There, all done," said Jasper who quickly removed his handkerchief from his pocket and tied it over Chris's mouth to muffle the screams that were going to start any second now. Just as Jasper finished tying the handkerchief Chris started to scream as the venom sent fire through his veins.

"Is he supposed to scream like that," asked Sofia worried as she continued to hold Jasper's shirt over her brother's wound which was now so soaked with blood that it would have to be scrapped entirely.

"Oh yes," said Jasper sympathetically. "Trust me he is only getting started. I did tell you that the transformation was painful and it is, very, very, very painful. We can discuss that more later though as I hear Bella with the car which is a good thing as I don't want to attract attention but with the way Chris is screaming, even as muffled as it is, we are bound to get someone to come see what is going on before to much longer and it is attention that we don't want or need."

Sofia could understand very well about not wanting to attract attention without even having to think about it very hard. If most humans found out that vampires were real there would be chaos and they would be hunted down, imprisoned, experimented on, and killed. Of course along the way a lot of humans would also be hurt and killed. It would be a massacre of epic proportions. At least a third of the human population would be massacred before the fervor died down.

Bella pulled up just then and Jasper opened the back door and gestured for Sofia to get in first before he picked up Chris as if he weighed nothing and slid his body into the back seat his feet and part of his legs over his sister's lap. Jasper made sure to keep his shirt over the wound so that Chris didn't lose anymore blood as he had lost to much already.

"Now I know you have some questions so ask and I will answer them as best I can," said Jasper.

"I don't know where to start," said Sofia.

"Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end then stop," Bella quoted quietly after she had inserted some plugs into her nose that she kept in the car. The use of the nose plugs would allow her to not have to hold her breath the whole way home because of Chris's wound, as they cut down, although did not completely eliminate, the smell of blood that penetrated the car. The plugs cut off her sense of smell enough that she was able to control her demon and not attack her friend. "Alice in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll."

"Well you already know that Chris and I figured out your secret," said Sofia wringing her hands a little as she listened to her brother scream even though it was muffled due to the handkerchief.

"When precisely and how?" asked Jasper calmly.

"It was several months ago and Chris who has always been very observant begun to notice several odd things about you. He noticed that you never accepted an invitation if it involved eating, he noticed you didn't sweat when we went to those baseball games in the heat or that you never seemed to get tired no matter what kind of physical activity we had been involved in. He also noticed that your eyes didn't look quite right, especially yours Jasper. He pointed out to me on several different occasions that your brown eyes just didn't look right with your blond hair."

Bella snickered appreciatively from behind the wheel at that. "Sounds familiar doesn't it Jasper?" Bella asked.

"I don't usually wear contacts," Jasper said calmly his lips flickering upwards in a brief smile at his wife's comment for what she had said was true. "I try to stick to sunglasses whenever I can so I didn't have any of my own contacts on hand and had to borrow Bella's. I will make sure I correct that inconsistency in the future just in case something like this happens again."

Sofia bit her lip seeming deep in thought, "Ask your question," Jasper said gently feeling her worry as well as her curiosity.

"Well Chris and I were kind of wondering why you made friends with us and why Bella was going to college in the first place."

"I'll answer that one if you don't mind, Jasper," said Bella who had been listening to the conversation.

"Of course, go right ahead," Jasper agreed with a smile that was for his wife alone where his whole face just glowed and that made Bella immediately smile back.

"Sofia when I first met you, you reminded me so much of myself that it was almost like using a time machine to go back into the past and watching my younger self discover vampires for the first time."

"In what way do I remind you of yourself?" asked Sofia softly looking from Bella to Jasper then back again while trying to ignore her brother's constant muffled screaming.

"Well, back when I first met the Cullens, which was a very long time ago now, I was immediately attracted to their son Edward. We sat together in biology and at first it seemed that Edward couldn't stand to be around me but I later learned that I was his singer which meant my blood smelled about a thousand times sweeter to him than anybody else's blood so it is actually quite astounding that he had the control necessary to not only not kill me on the spot but to drain every person in that classroom dry just to get rid of witnesses. You see the Cullens tried their best to pass for human and that meant going to school because none of them besides Carlisle and his wife Esme really looked over eighteen and the Cullens unlike most vampires considered themselves a family and not a coven. In order to settle in one place for years at a time that meant that all the Cullens except for Carlisle and Esme had to go to school so that they blended in as much as possible."

"I would think that the red eyes would be a dead giveaway," Sofia said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well you see the Cullens drank animal blood and not human for Carlisle was one of the most compassionate people I have ever known back then and now and he didn't believe in taking human life. Because the Cullens drank animal blood their eyes were gold and not red and so they could pass a little more easily in society even though they still kept themselves pretty aloof from making any close friends. Anyway I eventually figured out what the Cullens were thanks to Edward who saved me from being run over by one of the student's vans that was out of control one winter's day as it had slid on a patch of ice. When I confronted him with it he confirmed it and then took me to meet the rest of the family. Most of the Cullens welcomed me and I almost immediately became a member of the family. What this little story is leading to is the fact that you Sofia like me weren't afraid of me. You were so concerned about me that you came outside just to make sure I was okay after that very first class and I immediately sensed that if I allowed myself to be close to you we would be great friends and maybe even sisters."

"Why does that matter?" asked Sofia in confusion.

"Don't you see?" asked Bella, but when Sofia still looked confused Bella continued. "Most everybody avoids our kind instinctively sensing the predator within us, but like me all those years ago you know how to look past the surface of things to see the good people underneath. Most of our kind don't bother to make close friends with humans since they are our food source and I hate to admit it but there are a lot of vampires out there who simply don't care who they feed from."

"But you do?" Sofia guessed.

"Yes we do," said Jasper speaking for the first time in awhile. "Bella's right when she says that a lot of kind don't care if they drain an innocent or even a child, but our philosophy has always been that we don't feed from the innocent and that especially includes children. We hunt criminals, you know people who hurt other's, murderers, rapists, drug dealers, people who exploit children that type of person."

Sofia was silent as she absorbed that and Jasper gave her plenty of time to think. Finally after just a few minutes Sofia spoke again, "Back to my original question and that is what was Bella doing going to college in the first place."

"Well you see vampires don't sleep and we need something to do with our time," Bella explained. "I never had a chance to go to college when I was human because of the fire we told you about. I was more injured then Jasper let on when he told you and your brother our story and even if I had survived, which wasn't likely since I had multiple broken bones and internal injuries, I never would have walked again as my spine had been severed."

Sofia winced at that feeling sympathy for her friend.

"Jasper and I had discovered that we were mates several months ago and so you can guess that he was frantic when he came back from hunting to find the house in flames."

"Frantic doesn't even begin to cover it," Jasper said shuddering as he remembered how he had come back to find the house in flames.

"What do you mean mates?" asked Sofia curiously.

"Have you ever heard of soulmates?" asked Jasper.

Sofia nodded and said, "Yes."

"Well when a vampire meets the person that is supposed to be their mate for the first time there is immediately a tug, pulling you in that person's direction. Now normally you can only tell if that person is your mate if it is another vampire, but Bella was still human and so for some months I didn't know and Bella was dating Edward at the time so I didn't get close to her although I always thought that she was very beautiful and normally at that point in my life I mostly thought of humans as food and not as people with live, families and jobs, but with Bella it was different. Anyway Alice was always one for planning parties and even though Bella was against it she decided to throw Bella an eighteenth birthday party."

"I've never liked being the center of attention but Alice was a very hard person to say no to as she just had this way about her. She could be very pushy and very determined. Anyway back when I was human I was a klutz and me being me got a paper cut in a house full of vampires no less."

Jasper snickered appreciatively at that.

"But you were over there probably every day so why would getting a paper cut make a difference?" asked Sofia confused.

"Imagine presenting yourself like a piece of bloody meat to a hungry wolf or in my case to a pack of hungry wolves and tell me what the difference is," Bella said giggling at the image that created in her head.

Sofia thought about it for a few minutes then said, "So you are saying that the Cullens control over their bloodlust was good until somebody bled close to them and then it was a struggle."

"Exactly, except for Carlisle who learned to control his thirst centuries ago," said Jasper pleased that Sofia had understood so quickly. "Anyway that statement especially includes me as I have always been the one that struggles with their bloodlust the most. However is this case it was not really a problem for it was that single drop of blood that made me realize that Bella and I were mates as it was the smell you see."

"That's the ways it happens sometimes although not often," said Bella quietly. "Most of the time when a vampire finds a mate it is another of their kind but it has happened that a human will bleed in front of a vampire and instead of immediately draining them dry they will realize that this is who they are meant to be with for the rest of their existences and immediately bite them to turn them into one of their kind. My case though was a little different as I already knew that vampires were real and so instead of biting me Jasper came to my room at my father's house that night and explained everything. I believed him for despite the fact I was dating Edward at the time I had always been attracted to Jasper even though out of all the Cullens I didn't know him very well as Edward did his best to keep me away from him as he kept claiming that his control over his bloodlust wasn't that good."

"I'll admit that was true as I have always struggled with my thirst more then the others but I'll explain why at another time as we are almost at our house so you had better ask what ever you want to ask as you might not get another opportunity," said Jasper.

Sofia thought about it for a few minutes then said, "Well I was wondering why you bothered to help us in the first place and why you were there anyway."

"Well, in order to explain I must first explain that sometimes when a vampire fist wakes up in this life they discover that whatever their strongest trait was in their humans life is augmented after the change," Jasper began.

"What do you mean?" asked Sofia confused yet again which had been happening a lot during this conversation.

"When I was human my strongest trait was my charisma. I was born in the eighteen hundreds and I was seventeen when the Civil War began. I decided I wanted to serve my country, but the sign up man wasn't taking anyone under twenty at that time. Ever since I was a young man I had always been able to talk myself out of trouble or to get people to listen to me even if they were much older. When I was turned into a vampire that talent turned into my empathic ability. I can make people happy, sad, joyful, or any other emotion you can name, but the downside of that is I can also feel other people's emotions. I knew from the first moment when Chris started to get suspicious of me and I was silently hoping that Bella and I wouldn't have to leave town in a hurry."

"I see," said Sofia looking thoughtful. "I wondered how you got my brother to wake without even touching him and now I know."

"Exactly, I simply sent Chris some strong, positive emotions, like happiness, love, ecstasy and several others. Doing that was like giving him a needle full of adrenaline and it was enough to bring him back to consciousness." This statement of fact was said so simply and matter-of-factly without the hint of pride or arrogance that most people would feel if they had accomplished something similar made Sofia stare at him in astonishment for a moment even as she tried to make sense of the words. Waking someone up from unconsciousness to wakefulness without even touching them in less then ten seconds would be considered an extraordinary accomplishment by anybody else, but Jasper said it without any emotions coloring his tone, but as a simple fact. "Anyway back to your original question," Jasper continued after a moment, "I knew that you and Chris were in trouble because my brother Peter has a talent for sometimes knowing things that he shouldn't. It always comes in the form of a hunch and he is never wrong. Bella and I have of course told him and his mate Charlotte about you and just a few hours ago Peter called and told me that you and your brother were about to get into trouble and if we didn't prevent it then Chris would die and that you might as well. He also said and I quote: 'You will have two newborns to deal with and they will take your last name,' unquote. What that implies is that not only would you two become vampires but it also means that Chris will survive the change."

"I see," said Sofia but didn't have time to say more as Bella finally parked the car at a house that was miles outside the city in the middle of the countryside.

"Let's get your brother inside," said Jasper and he opened the door and Bella was immediately there to take Chris into her arms and carry him into the house holding her breath the entire way as she had removed her nose plugs and put them back in the glove box before she exited the car.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Sofia looked around the house as they entered and immediately noticed that while the furniture was nice it wasn't the ultra expensive, delicate stuff that you would be afraid of sitting on for fear of damaging it. Also while the house was relatively big as she could see a set of stairs and also several rooms branching off in different directions on the ground floor it wasn't a mansion or anything.

"Why don't you put him in Peter and Charlotte's room for now?" Jasper suggested to his wife.

Bella nodded not responding and silently obeyed instructions.

"Why isn't she speaking?" asked Sofia confused.

"Because she is holding her breath in order not to smell the blood," Jasper said. "She removed the nose plugs she was using so she would not have to hold her breath the whole way home as doing that is very uncomfortable. It also allowed her to join in the conversation which wouldn't have been possible if she was holding her breath as you need air in order to talk. She removed the nose plugs before she exited the car as they stay in there in case we need them for some reason. That she was able to resist draining Chris at all before she inserted them is frankly a bloody miracle as in vampire years she is still considered quite young."

Sofia absorbed that silently and mentally kicked herself for when she thought about it, it made a weird kind of sense. Vampires were technically dead and so wouldn't necessarily need to breathe.

"Now while Bella is doing that and making your brother as comfortable as she possibly can I have a few questions for you," said Jasper.

"Like what?" asked Sofia curiously.

"Is there anything in particular that you want to save before I go to your apartment to get some clothes for you and your brother. If there is you had better speak up now because in order to fake your deaths we are going to have to set the whole apartment house where you were living on fire and substitute several dead bodies for you and your brother."

"Why?" asked Sofia looking horrified.

"Because we cannot have anybody looking for you," Jasper explained calmly and simply. "And fire is the best way to accomplish that. Don't worry we'll make sure everybody gets out in time."

Sofia nodded knowing that Jasper knew what was best and he did have a point when he said that they couldn't have anybody looking for them as she somehow instinctively understood that vampires had to remain just myths and legends, nothing more.

"Well there are several things from our parents that either of us would hate to lose," said Sofia slowly describing each item.

"Anything else?" asked Jasper. Sofia thought about it for a few minutes then shook her head.

"Very well then," said Jasper. "Before I go just let me say that I am sorry this happened to you and your brother. Truly and deeply sorry for you were the first humans friends I had really ever had and Bella and I were very fond of both of you."

"But we will still be here," said Sofia a little confused.

"But it will be different," said Jasper simply. "You will no longer be the humans we once knew and although a lot of your personality traits will still be the same you will be different as well. Now I am going to go ahead and bite you just as soon as Bella has finished getting you brother situated."

"I am finished," Bella called not a second later.

"Very well then," said Jasper calmly standing military straight. "If you will follow me, Sofia I will put you in the room next to your brother's and get you comfortable before I bite you."

Sofia gulped for although she had been trying to ignore it she could still hear her brother screaming and she was not looking forward to the pain of the transformation that made you scream like that.

Sofia was determined though and Jasper seemed to feel that for he looked at her with a new respect although he didn't say anything.

"Let's get started, shall we?" said Sofia bravely.

Jasper nodded and led the way to the room that was beside the one where Chris was going through his transformation.

"Now I hate to ask you this but I need access to your body so I need you to remove your clothes," said Jasper and watched as Sofia blushed a bright red. Normally Sofia wasn't the very modest type, but being buck naked in front of this handsome man whom she almost thought of as both a brother and father was beyond embarrassing even though she knew that he would never ask if it wasn't necessary.

"Ah, now that's one thing I am going to miss," Jasper said as Sofia blushed a bright red.

"What?" asked Sofia looking directly at him trying to get over her embarrassment.

"Your blushing," Jasper explained. "Since you won't have anymore blood in your system after you are transformed only venom you won't be able to blush, I still miss Bella's blushing even after all this time. She really did blush easily."

"Jasper Whitlock don't you go telling tales," Bella yelled from wherever in the house she was.

Jasper chuckled at the sound of his wife's voice sounding so annoyed not seeming at all weary of her anger.

Sofia watched as Jasper left the room like the true gentleman he was, closing the door behind him after telling her to call him whenever she was ready. Sofia looked around the room and immediately noticed that it was decorated like a guest room although why a couple of vampires needed one she didn't know. She slowly began to get undressed and remembering how Jasper had bitten her brother she left on her bra and panties but made sure her neck, wrists and ankles were exposed.

"I'm ready," Sofia called softly knowing Jasper would hear her with his super sensitive hearing.

Jasper entered not even a second later to find Sofia lying on the bed on her back and Sofia immediately noticed that he had put on a shirt so that his chest was no longer bare.

"This will be painful as you already know and for that I am sorry," said Jasper his ruby red eyes looking at her with sympathy and understanding.

"It's hardly your fault," said Sofia. "Let's just get it over with as I'm not looking forward to being in hell. How long is this going to take, you never did say."

"Three days," said Jasper.

Sofia gulped at the thought of being in so much pain for 72 whole hours. "I'll see you on the other side then," Sofia said bravely. I hope, she added to herself.

"Yes you will," Jasper agreed looking at Sofia with respect in his eyes before he bent down biting into Sofia's neck right at the pulse point and then doing the same thing to each wrist and ankle making sure he injected as much venom as he possibly could each time.

When he was done it was not more than a second later that Sofia began to scream in agony as the venom raced through her system.

"All done?" asked Bella coming into the room

"Yes all done, darlin'," Jasper replied giving his wife a kiss. "Now all we have to do is wait."

"Oh waiting," said Bella sarcastically. "I just love waiting. Not!"

Jasper laughed and led his mate out of the room and into their bedroom. "First things first we need to discuss a couple of things."

"Like what?" asked Bella cocking her had curiously.

"Well first just let me say I am very proud of the way you handled yourself out there and also how you resisted draining Chris dry when he was first injured. I was very impressed that you managed to remain yourself long enough to remember to hold your breath even after smelling all that blood. If anybody knows how hard it is to resist that much fresh blood it is me. I'm not sure I could have managed the same when I was your age."

Bella was glad once again that she couldn't blush anymore but she could still feel embarrassed and Jasper of course would feel that.

"Thanks," said Bella and Jasper just shook his head as he supposed that Bella would never change in the fact that she hated being complimented, but at least she had started to respond to them instead of ignoring them entirely which was progress of a sort.

"Now the thing I wanted to discuss was when the twins finish their transformation I am going to give them a choice."

"Oh you mean whether or not they drink animal or human blood?" asked Bella instantly understanding as had done the same thing for her a century ago.

"Exactly," said Jasper. "In this case though I think it would be good to have some humans on hand since unlike with you I don't have a way to distract them from their thirst and we don't want them going out and draining half the nearby town. If they do prefer to drink animal blood we can drain them and then teach the twins to hunt in the forest nearby."

"Oh that reminds me, that guy that hurt Chris is still in the trunk of the car," said Bella, "Don't you think it is a good idea to keep him somewhere and if Chris and Sofia do decide to drink human blood they can be the ones to kill him, kind as revenge for what he did to them?"

"That's a good idea," Jasper approved but with The Major looking out of his eyes proudly.

"Thanks," said Bella noticing the change immediately but not being at all afraid of The Major when he just showed up like that as it had happened a lot over the years and also because The Major was part of the man she loved with her whole being and so she could never be afraid of that part of her mate's personality.

"Also when they first wake up I think it might be a good idea for you to see them first so that you can explain about my scars. You know as well as I do that once they are vampires they are going to see my scars and react instinctively, but maybe if you explain first they won't be scared of me or at least not as much. Most new vampires react on instinct especially for the first three months but since they have known what we are for a while they might end up being like you I just don't know."

"That makes sense," Bella agreed. "I'll do that and hopefully they will remember that you are their friend and that you saved Chris's life, well at least in a way," Bella quickly added.

"We'll just have to see on that one," said Jasper taking his wife into his arms and giving her a kiss.

"Don't you think you had better get going and get those things for the twins?" asked Bella. "It won't be long until somebody realizes that they are missing so you need to go ahead and set that fire."

"I know which is why I think it is a good idea that as soon as they finish their transformation that we leave the area entirely. The twins cannot afford to be spotted and recognized."

"But it's not like they will be able to go around humans for at least a year if not more," Bella pointed out.

"Or they could be like you and have no trouble around humans at all," said Jasper. "Don't worry I'm not counting on that," Jasper added when he saw Bella was about to protest, "but it is a possibility and I'm just trying to think of every eventually that is likely to occur."

Bella nodded and Jasper continued, "A hundred years ago I would have said it was impossible for a newborn vamp to be so self-aware, controlled and to have relatively few problems, but you of course did the supposedly impossible. I've always believed it was because you were aware vampires existed and agreed to the change beforehand and while the twins have not been aware for as long as you were they still have had time to accept the fact that creatures out of myth and legend exist."

"Where are you going to get the bodies to look like the twins?" asked Bella finally not responding her husband's words as she had heard them several times in the past.

"The morgue and hopefully I can get two people that at least closely resemble them just in case the fire doesn't destroy enough of the evidence. I sure do miss Alice's talent for seeing the future right about now," Jasper admitted with a sigh. "If she was still in this existence all she would have do would be to look into the future to see which plan would work best and where to get the two bodies that closely resemble Chris and Sofia, but since she is gone we are going to have to do this the hard way and hope for the best. Well I had better get going but make sure you call me if you have any problems and I'll be back here as fast as I can."

"I will," Bella promised giving him a kiss. "You be careful, okay, and come back as soon as you can. While you are gone I will start packing up the house."

"I will be careful," Jasper promised giving his mate another kiss before he was gone.

Flashback

"Well that was enlightening," said Bella as soon as they were in their rental car.

"Yes it was," said Jasper. "The only one I've ever met before is Aro but I knew he could be quite the conversationalist once he let go of his role of being king. I didn't know about the other two until tonight, though."

"I really didn't expect them to talk to us in private like that," said Bella.

"Well I kind of did as I could sense their awe and fear of me especially Caius and Marcus as they had never met me before yesterday. I was pretty sure I knew what they wanted to talk to us about and they wouldn't want very many people to know that we work for them so that other vampires don't try and interfere, although why they would when we are doing them a favor by providing them with a steady supply of meals I don't know, but a lot of our kind are crazy so someone could want to interfere for their own reasons."

"I have a question for you," said Bella after a moment.

"You can ask me anything, you know that," said Jasper having a feeling he knew what her question was going to be and bracing himself for it.

"What did you mean that you split the Cullen money four ways since there are only three of you left."

Jasper winced at the tone of Bella's voice as he had been hoping she hadn't caught that although he should have known better as Bella had always been very observant even as a human and that trait had of course carried over when she had become a vampire. "Well, you do know that Carlisle and Esme considered you a member of the family right?" asked Jasper as calmly as possible.

"Yes," said Bella with a raised eyebrow her posture and tone bristling with irritation. "Why does that matter?"

"Well they would have wanted you to have some of the money they had accumulated over the years and so when Rose, Emmett and I were splitting the money we opened up several accounts in your new name and put your share in there. One is in Switzerland the other in the Cayman Islands and of course you have an account at a regular bank for normal expenditures."

"And you were going to tell me when?" asked Bella her voice rising.

"When you couldn't tear all of us apart," Jasper admitted looking sheepish.

"I'll tear you all apart all right," Bella muttered. "How much money are we talking about?"

"About 500,000,000,000, each."

"500,000,000,000, each?" asked Bella barely being able to articulate how ridiculous she thought that number was. "Are you fucking insane!"

Jasper winced when Bella shouted and said as calmly as possible, "We are vampires, Bella and you have to realize we do live forever unless someone kills us by fire. When you live forever that's really not that much money."

Bella wasn't ready to give in yet and said, "How in the world do you accumulate that kind of money?" She was having trouble imagining having that kind of cash.

"Well when you have a pixie who can see the future and therefore see what investments would be good it isn't really that hard. I probably have that much stored away in my Cayman Islands accounts alone and that doesn't include my Switzerland account."

Bella sputtered for a moment and couldn't think of what to say for several minutes.

"Take it back," she finally said her voice choked up. "I don't want it."

"I won't do that Bella," Jasper told her quietly and as calmly as possible as he knew that part of Bella's reaction to the news was that she was still grieving for Carlisle, Esme and Alice and taking their money would be admitting the fact that they were really and truly gone. The other part though was the fact that to her having that kind of money she didn't earn was like robbing someone blind. He could understand her reaction as it was how she had been raised, but although he could understand it that didn't mean he was not going to have to get her to accept that she now had more money then she knew what to do with. "I know that suddenly having so much money is a shock but you would insult Carlisle and Esme's memories if you didn't accept what they have generously given you," Jasper continued after a moment. "In fact Carlisle was in the process of opening an account in your name but never had a chance to complete what needed to be done before he was killed. Everybody considered you a member of the family and if things had gone as planned you would have been after I bit you on your father's birthday."

"But I didn't earn a penny of it. It just seems wrong to be given so much money without working for it," Bella protested just as Jasper knew she would but he could also tell that he had gotten her thinking and that she was on the verge of giving in.

"Bella you are a vampire now and it's not like you can hold down a normal nine to five job," Jasper told her quietly. "I know that you worked hard for everything you had when you were human, but when you decided to be a member of the family you have to accept what comes with it and that includes money. You can spend as much or as little as you want, whenever you want but the money is yours and none of us will take it back as we all agreed that you were a member of the family and should get your share."

Bella didn't say anything and simply stared out the window. "You know none of us were used to that kind of wealth when we were human. You know I've told you before that from what I remember of my human life my family wasn't wealthy. Like you we all worked hard for everything we had, but now that you are a vampire and are immortal you have to be practical. You can't live without money, even if we don't need to eat, we still need clothes, a place to live and other things."

"But that amount is excessive," Bella protested finally just about ready to give in, but still arguing for form's sake.

"It isn't when you could live to be five or ten thousand years old. Just look at Aro and his brothers, they are a least three thousand years old and will probably live for three thousand more."

Bella sighed in defeat, "All right fine, I'll keep the money, but I refuse to be like Alice and spend massive amounts just because I can. I'm not going to buy clothes just to wear them once or twice and then get rid of them and I refuse to buy designer just because I have the money."

"That's fine you don't need to be like Alice or Carlisle and Esme. I prefer the simpler things in life myself as I've said before."

Bella was silent for a while and Jasper could tell that she was still upset and was probably going to have words with Rosalie and Emmett when she got back to the villa they had rented.

"And don't you dare corner Rose and Emmett and make a big deal out of it," Jasper told her sternly. "Not only is that rude, you'll hurt their feelings and they don't deserve that. You must learn to accept it when somebody gives you a gift and without protesting that it is to expensive or to much. When will you realize that you are worth it just like I told you so long ago in Phoenix? You deserve it and even if you feel unworthy of it, that doesn't make it any less true."

"You're right," said Bella finally. "I suppose I am being childish in not accepting gifts graciously. I guess it has a lot to do with my upbringing and I suppose it carried over when I was changed."

"There's nothing wrong with not being a big spender," Jasper told her. "Now I noticed that your eyes were very dark and I can feel the hunger coming off of you so you need to feed and afterwards when you aren't so hungry maybe you will be able to accept the fact that you now have more money then you ever had before."

"You're right," Bella agreed as she felt her throat searing. "Those glasses of blood helped but my throat is really searing something fierce."

"You are still a newborn and might only need to feed once a week now instead of every three or four days but we still need to keep you on a schedule at least until you are a couple of years old and to you get to the point you only need to feed every couple of weeks."

"Unless we've been involved in a lot of physical activity?" asked Bella with a smirk her argumentative mood dissipating.

"Yes unless because of that," Jasper agreed also with a smirk as he remembered the love they had just hours ago before their meeting with the kings, which he couldn't wait to do again.

"I love you so much Jasper," Bella told him quietly. "I'm sorry I made such a big deal out of the money."

"It's okay, darlin' I understand where you are coming from," said Jasper giving her hand a squeeze. "I love you to and I am so lucky to have you in my life. I don't know what I did to deserve you but I'm certainly not going to question it."

"You deserve everything and more, Jasper," Bella told him as she leaned over and gave him a kiss. "So stop putting yourself down, that's an order," she told him seriously.

"Yes, ma'am," drawled Jasper with a grin.

Bella stared out the window and didn't say anything for the rest of the ride.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Jasper and Bella went on a quick hunt and it didn't take any time at all to lure out a couple of small time drug dealers and drink from them. All Bella had to do was look over in their direction and give them a seductive look and a wink and they followed her like a pair of puppy dogs out to the alley. Of course the lust Jasper shot the two men might have had something to do with it as well.

Once Bella had fed on both men and Jasper had hunted up his own dinner they headed home after getting rid of the evidence.

When Jasper told Rosalie and Emmett the news of how Bella had reacted to finding out that she now had 5000,000,000 dollars to her name they both winced at her reaction.

"Well we did kind of think that was going to happen," said Emmett. "I mean even I know how she feels about having money she didn't earn and I don't usually pay attention to that kind of thing."

"And at least I convinced her not to come and yell at you," said Jasper.

"Thank goodness for that," said Rose. When Jasper looked at her she added, "You know I love her but she does have a few hangups."

"Look at it from her point of view," said Jasper. "I mean you grew up and didn't need to worry about money as your family had plenty of it. It might not be as much as you have now but still you didn't need to worry, while Bella grew up always concerned if she and her mother were going to be thrown out on the street."

"I suppose that does make a difference," Rose admitted sounding a little more sympathetic.

"It does," said Jasper. "I think that being responsible from such a young age is a large part of the reason she is like she is. She was the one that did what her mom should have done like made sure the bills were paid and stuff like that. Because she was so responsible and so mature you know from what she has said that she didn't have any friends and that Alice was the first real friend she had ever had." Jasper didn't mention Melissa or Jake because he knew that Bella wouldn't have wanted him to and he would never betray her confidence and tell anybody something she didn't want them to know. Not only would that get him yelled at she probably wouldn't confide in him in the future and would stop trusting him. If she wanted Emmett and Rose to know about them she would tell them herself.

"You're right," Rose admitted grudgingly.

"No offense to Alice and as much as I loved her I think she is also part of the problem as to why Bella is like she is. I never thought that Alice should have pushed Bella to do things she obviously didn't want to but the few times I told her she should lay off as she was making Bella uncomfortable she didn't listen and I was told to mind my own business."

"And Emmett I would not tease her about the fact that she has so much money now unless you want to lose another body part," Jasper added. "Even when she is no longer a newborn in six months I still would not tease her, as I'm sure she will find a way to get you back and you probably won't like the results."

Emmett nodded I agreement as he knew that Bella could be pretty devious when she set her mind to it and he had already been the recipient of more then one of her pranks.

The other two nodded in agreement and they all fell silent for awhile.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

The next day it was agreed that it was going to be a girls day as Jane and her friend Heidi had agreed to go shopping with with Rose and Bella.

"Have a good time," Jasper told Bella and Rose.

"We'll see you when you get back," Emmett added.

"I'll miss you cowboy," Bella told Jasper giving him a kiss.

"I'll miss you to," Jasper assured her. "Feel free to text me."

"I will and you can text me to," promised Bella.

Jasper had gotten Bella her own cell phone once she had gotten control of her fine motor skills and wouldn't crush it on accident.

"I'll look after her," Rose promised.

Bella rolled her eyes in exasperation but didn't say anything as she knew they were just concerned about her. This would be her first time away from Jasper, well except for a few trips to the mall, but that had been with just Rose not two almost total strangers. Both Bella and Rose hoped though to get a couple of new girlfriends as sometimes it was pretty lonely having just each other to talk to.

Both Bella and Rose had liked Jane immediately when they had met her and they thought she had felt the same but a solid friendship took time to build and they both knew that.

"Let's get going or we are going to be late meeting Jane and Heidi," said Bella.

The two woman left and Jasper and Emmett watched as their mates got in one of the rented cars sports cars and left.

"Try not to worry to much Rose will look after her," said Emmett seeing Jasper's worried look.

"I know that Bella needs to make some other girl friends besides just Rose, but this is the first time that she's been anywhere where I wasn't close enough to be with her in a few seconds."

"You know I felt the same way the first time Rose went shopping, even though I knew intellectually that she could take care of herself that didn't stop me from worrying. Over time though as our mate bond matured I realized that we would eventually drive each other insane if we didn't give each other some space to do things alone, bond nonwithstanding. You have to let her do things on her own and not coddle her or she will come to eventually resent you."

"I know you are right," said Jasper with a sigh. "It's just that I never thought I would find my mate, I never thought I could be so happy and then this human girl comes and trips into a house full of vampires."

Emmett chuckled because it was so true. "And is more comfortable with them then with her own kind. Now quit worrying, your Bella will be just fine," he added slapping Jasper on the back.

"I know," said Jasper. "When did you become so mature? These last few months you have acted more grown up then I've ever seen you. It used to be you would never have given me such sound advice and you would have made a joke out of everything."

"I think it was about the time we realized that Carlisle, Esme and Alice were truly gone," said Emmett seriously. "I realized that Rosalie could also have died in that fire if she had decided not to go hunting with us at the last minute. If Rose had died I would be dead to because I can't live without her."

"I feel the same way about Bella and if she hadn't survived the fire or the change afterwards then I would have found away to end my existence," said Jasper. "I love her so much that I would find a way to give her the moon and the stars if she asked it of me."

"Poetic much?" Emmett teased Jasper.

Jasper shrugged, "Tell me you don't feel the same way about Rose and I'll call you a liar."

"I do, even if I'm not poetic like you are," said Emmett.

"So sue me," said Jasper with a smile. "Before Bella and I got together I never considered myself poetic in the least but she just brings it out in me."

"Well we had better get going if we are going to meet Demetri on time," said Emmett.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"It's nice to meet you," said Heidi who was a very beautiful woman with red hair and a petite figure. She was taller then her friend Jane but unlike her hadn't been turned when she was just fifteen. She looked like she had been at least in her late twenties when she had been changed and was at least a foot taller as well.

"It's nice to meet you to," said Rose politely shaking Heidi's hand.

"So ready to go shopping?" asked Jane looking excited.

"You bet, I'm always ready to shop," said Rose enthusiastically.

"Let's go," said Bella.

"At least we won't have to wear contacts today as its cloudy," said Heidi.

"Thank goodness for that," said Bella. "The few times I've head to wear them when I went shopping with Rose they were hard to get used to. I could see every little defect in them after I put them in and they were as irritating as all hell. Sunglasses aren't always appropriate, unfortunately."

"Yes, I agree," said Jane. "I've had to wear them a lot over the years and they do take some getting used to."

"So Jane never told me how you were changed," said Heidi.

"Because I haven't told anybody, well except that I wanted to be changed. I don't mind talking about most of it except for what happened right before and the change itself," said Bella. "From what I can remember from my human life and what my family has told me, I met Edward Cullen in biology one day. I had just moved to Forks to live with my father Charlie because my mother had just gotten remarried and she wanted to travel with her new husband Phil Dwyer who was a minor league baseball player." Bella went onto to tell about all that had happened while she had been dating Edward.

"In my free moments I began to notice that he treated me like some kind of object to be coveted and protected but not someone who had a right to have her opinion listened to and taken into consideration, instead I was ignored. I was just someone he had to protect and in his opinion even from his family, especially Jasper."

"So what happened after that?" asked Jane fascinated.

"Well Alice decided to throw me an eighteenth birthday party whether I wanted one or not and fortunately for me Edward had to go out of town on business so he wasn't there.

I was never one for big celebrations as I hate being the center of attention, always have and yet here was Alice throwing me a party and you just couldn't tell her no. It was there through that Jasper and I discovered we were mates as me being my usual clumsy self got a paper cut from some of the wrapping paper. Jasper knew immediately that I was his mate the minute he smelled my blood and he tried to get to me. The family assumed at that time that he wanted to drain me dry but he just wanted to make sure I was okay. Jasper showed up in my bedroom that night and told me that we were supposed to be mates and I believed him because I had always been attracted to him despite the fact that Edward kept me away from him as much as possible."  
"That's so sweet," said Heidi.

"And romantic," added Jane sighing wistfully.

"I had already made the decision to break up with Edward even before Jasper's revelation, but never got the chance. When we told Edward the news of us being mates well he literally exploded and tried to claim Jasper was controlling my emotions."

"What a shithead!" Heidi exclaimed and both Jane and Rose nodded in agreement.

"I never liked Edward," Rose said quietly liking Jane and Heidi more and more. "I always felt he was a nosy, judgmental, stick up his ass child that thought he knew everything just because he could read everybody's thoughts. Of course the feeling was mutual as he thought I was a shallow, self-centered bitch who cared more about my looks then my family. I'm not denying I can be shallow and self-centered but that is not all that I am and Edward never understood that or maybe a better explanation is he never wanted to get to know the real me instead of what he thought I was."

"So what happened after that?" asked Jane.

"Well it wasn't long after that, just a week later actually, that Jasper had to go hunting as he said he didn't want to take the chance of hurting me despite the fact that if you are mated you aren't supposed to be able to hurt each other, when Edward showed up in my kitchen where I was just getting myself some breakfast. I hadn't seen him in all the time I had been dating Jasper, which was fine with me as I never wanted anything else to do with him and in fact had told him to stay away from me. We got into an argument and I told him to get out of my house and of course Edward being Edward didn't listen and when I cussed at him he slapped me across the cheek, hard enough to leave bruises and told me that I was his and I had better get used to it."

"Her cheek was still black and blue during her change well until the venom healed it," said Rose still furious over the incident. "Carlisle at the time said she was lucky that he hadn't taken her head off. He had not only bruised her skin but the bones as well."

"He didn't actually crack or break bones?" asked Heidi in surprise.

"No and I remember wishing he had because it would have healed faster. I had trouble talking for weeks because it hurt to much, you know," said Bella.

"Emmett, Jasper and I were furious and we tore Edward apart and we put him back together, well except for his arms, so Carlisle and Esme could decide what to do with him. Carlisle was as furious as I had ever seen him as usually he never lost his temper and he actually threw Edward out of the family which was not something I had ever thought would happen since Carlisle loved Edward like a son. Edward was the first one he changed as he was dying of the Spanish Influenza in the early 1900's but on the other hand he loved Bella like a daughter and in this case Edward was clearly in the wrong so he really didn't have a choice."

"It wasn't long after I finished my last year of high school that my father was shot and died while still in surgery. I know if it hadn't been for Jasper and the rest of the family, well all except for Edward that is, that I would have had a harder time getting over his death. After my father's funeral I decided to sell the house as it just had to many memories of Charlie and I didn't want to stay in the house alone with Edward still out there so I moved in with the rest of the Cullens. I don't have clear memories of what happened after that," said Bella with a shrug.

"I do," said Rose softly. "Jasper called us, him, Emmett and I were out hunting and said he had gotten a text from his brother Peter and it said we needed to get back the house or he could lose Bella forever."

"How did this Peter know something was wrong?" asked Heidi looking confused.

"Well Peter has never admitted to having a gift but sometimes he gets these hunches and he's always right so as you can probably guess Jasper was frantic because he knew that Peter never would have sent him that text if he hadn't had one and so Jasper called me and Emmett and we raced back to the house only to find it on fire. At first we thought everyone including Bella was dead but then we heard a groan, it was very soft and if not for our advanced hearing we never would have heard it. We discovered Bella on the ground some distance from the house and how she was even still alive I don't know as even I could tell that her injuries were serious and I have no medical training whatsoever. Anyway we had no choice but to change her right there as even if she survived she would probably never walk again."

"Jasper was going to change me anyway, but he wanted to give me time to get over my father's death as he didn't want me to carry that grief into my immortal life," Bella added. "I do remember Jasper waking me up with his gift and asking for my permission to change me and of course I said yes. And before you ask Jasper is a very powerful empath and he can not only sense other people's emotions but manipulate them as well."

"So what happened after that?" asked Jane.

"I don't remember much except I was in incredible pain, but I do know that Emmett and Jasper were talking as Emmett drove his jeep with Jasper in the backseat holding me doing his best to sooth my pain with his gift."

"We all figured it was best to take her to the property in Alaska as it is out in the middle of nowhere so she could finish her change and while the boys did that I stayed behind to see what had happened to Carlisle, Esme and Alice."

Rose then told how she had gotten into the house after the fire department had left and what she had discovered. "I gathered what I could and got out of there as the floors were very unstable and then took my car, which luckily for me hadn't been damaged or blown up in the fire, and headed towards Alaska."

Jane and Heidi listened in fascination as Rose and Bella finished the story just as they reached Livorno.

"You're memories seem surprisingly clear," Heidi commented at a volume undetectable by humans.

"Well I lot of what I told you Jasper has told me and as for the rest...well I do seem to have a lot of my memories."

"Let's go shopping," said Jane excitedly, clapping her hands together, excitedly.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Jasper and Emmett greeted Demetri when he met them at the villa.

"So Demetri, we invited you over while the girls are out shopping with Jane and Heidi, as we thought it might be a good idea to get to know a few of the guards as I'm sure Bella and me will be visiting Italy a lot."

"Yes I heard that you and your Bella accepted a job as consultants for the kings."

"Yes, that's true," said Jasper. "We just signed a ten year contract that starts in a little less then six months once Bella newborn year is over. I've been thinking about doing something like that for a while now but since I was with the Cullens..."

"Carlisle never would have approved," said Emmett when Demetri looked confused. "Carlisle and his mate Esme were pacifists and didn't approve of violence and especially didn't approve of their family getting involved with the Volturi."

"And at that time I was enjoying having a family to much to ever seriously think about doing something like that."

"I see," said Demetri nodding in understanding. "I had heard of Carlisle and his strange diet but since I had never met him I wasn't sure if the rumors were true or not, well not until I talked to you the other day anyway."

Jasper and Demetri traded war stories and Emmet told of some of the pranks he had pulled on various members of the family over the years and before they knew it it was several hours later.

"Well you know what they say time flies when you're having fun," said Emmett with a grin.

"Yes this had been one of the most enjoyable days I've had in a long time," said Demetri. "I have friends among the guards, and of course I talk to Marcus as he is my creator, but it just not the same."

Jasper nodded, "I know what you mean. As much as I loved the Cullens I wouldn't have dared share any of my experiences with most of them, Emmett and Rosalie being the exception of course. I'm not saying that Carlisle's diet was wrong I just think he was very narrow minded, you know? He thought that any of our kind that drank human blood were evil and that's just not true. We can't help that human blood is our natural food source, but Carlisle was so set in his ways that he just couldn't see that not all vampire are evil just for doing what comes naturally to them."

"He sounds kind of...if you'll forgive me...insane," Demetri suggested.

"He wasn't insane precisely," Jasper disagreed calmly. "He just believed in the sanctity of human life is all. From what I know of his upbringing his father was some kind of pastor and he was always going after these innocent folks accusing them of being werewolves, vampires and the like. When his father fell ill Carlisle was forced to take over and it was then he was bitten by a real vampire. So you can see where Carlisle's beliefs came from. We do after all keep certain traits after we are changed."

"Yes, yes, I see," said Demetri thoughtfully. "So I've been meaning to ask, and you can tell me it's none of my business if I'm being nosy, but I was wondering what you plan to do about Cullen when he is captured and I have no doubt he will be eventually."

"Oh Bella and I both have plans for him," Jasper said with an evil smirk. "I wanted to burn one of his arms just for what he did to Bella before she was changed, imagine what we both want to do to him now that he has killed three people we both loved."

"What did he do to Bella?" asked Demetri with a raised eyebrow.

And so both Emmett and Jasper described what Edward had done and what they had done to him afterwards.

"Cullen did that?" asked Demetri in shock. "Doesn't he know that if you had filed a complaint with the Volturi and requested his death they probably would have granted it?"

"He didn't believe we were mated you see," said Jasper. "Even though Carlisle backed us up he preferred to believe that I was manipulating her emotions."

Demetri shook his head. "If that idiot believes that he deserves whatever he gets."

"And I agree," said Emmett pounding his fist into the palm of his hand angrily.

"Fuckwad thought just because of my violent past and my scars that I was evil," said Jasper. "He tends to see things in black and white but there are always shades of gray." Jasper then went on to describe some of the things he had been planning on doing to Edward once he was caught.

The other two men listened and shuddered a time or two at the torture Jasper had planned and were glad it was not them Jasper was furious at. Both Emmett and Demetri thought that Edward must truly be stupid to go up against a man who had more scars then any other vampire they knew and had survived fighting in the southern wars, which most vampires could not claim as they had been very brutal.

"You know I was thinking about setting a trap for Edward," said Jasper.

"What kind of trap?" asked Demetri curiously.

"Well I was thinking that Emmett, Rose Bella and I could go back to Alaska and let it be known among various sources that is where Bella has gotten to. Sooner or later Edward is going to show up and even if I didn't leave word he would probably eventually show up as taking a newborn to our house in Alaska would be the logical thing to do as it is far enough from civilization that if Bella was drinking animal blood she wouldn't harm a human. He will never believe that Bella made the decision to drink from humans on her own. I gave her the choice of doing either one and it was her decision."

"But then if you did that how would you get him back to Italy so Aro could read his memories?" asked Demetri. "And I'm sure you know that Aro will demand he be able to read the boy's memories for himself even if we all know he is guilty."

"I know and that is why I haven't mentioned it to Bella because she would be eager to do it just so we can get on with our lives and I can't blame her. She's already sick of this whole Cullen mess and is ready for him to be caught and taken care of."

"Who can blame her?" asked Demetri. "Instead of getting used to being a vampire she's dealing with this. I mean being a newborn is hard enough without all these added pressures. I still remember my newborn year and how difficult that was but then I was changed against my will so I suppose that does make a difference."

The three of them talked for a while longer and got to know each other better and all three found that they liked each other a great deal and that it being friends was not going to be to hard.

End Flashback

Three days later Chris felt the pain finally start to leave his limbs and he realized that his heart was starting to speed up so fast that it felt as if it was about to come out of his chest entirely but finally, after what seemed like forever his heart gave one final, frantic beat and went silent.

"Chris, open your eyes would you," said a female voice that Chris vaguely recognized although for some reason he couldn't quite place it. "It's Bella, don't you remember your friend?"

Suddenly Chris was hit with a rush of memories of how he had met Bella and Jasper... how they had become almost instant friends...how he and his sister had eventually figured out that their new friends were vampires out of myth and legend.

"Bella?" Chris questioned finally opening his eyes and looking around the room which he immediately noticed looked like someone lived here for there were personal effects scattered around the room, both male and female. He also noticed that his eyesight was much, much better as he could see the individual dust motes in the air and every single grain of the wood of what looked like a wardrobe door perfectly clearly and the wardrobe was on the other side of the room. Finally Chris looked in the direction that the musical voice had come from and saw Bella, his friend whom looked totally different. Sure her basic looks were the same, the same brown curly hair, the same shape of the eyes, mouth and cheekbones but with his new eyes she looked not just beautiful, but gorgeous, as in supermodel gorgeous.

"Where's Jasper?" asked Chris darting a quick look around the room looking for his other friend.

"He's downstairs waiting for us," Bella explained simply. "He wanted me to explain a few things to you before you saw him."

"Like what?" asked Chris suddenly looking wary.

"It's nothing bad," Bella assured him quickly seeing the look.

"Then what?" asked Chris. "And where's my sister?"

"Your sister is still in the throes of the change, but should be done in an hour or two. Can't you hear her screaming?" asked Bella.

Now that Bella mentioned it he did hear his sister's screaming from what was apparently a room right next door. "What's this thing you wanted to explain to me then?"

"Well Jasper asked me to explain that when you see him he will look very different," said Bella.

"In what way as I already know he will be even more handsome then before since you look like a supermodel and even when I was human I always thought you were beautiful," Chris blurted out curiously then got all embarrassed a second later when he realized what he had just said and also realizing that he couldn't blush anymore.

A cough that turned into a chuckle sounded from downstairs and Chris tensed getting ready to react defensively but Bella didn't move so Chris assumed that it was probably Jasper's laugh.

"Thank you for the compliment," Bella said trying not to appear embarrassed by it even though she was. After a moment she continued calmly, "Well when you first see him you will notice immediately that he has a lot of scars and Jasper wanted me to warn you about them."

"Why?" asked Chris curiously. "And why couldn't I see these scars when I was human?"

"Well to answer your second question first the reason you couldn't see them is because your human eyes were to weak unless he had been standing in a brightly lit room or direct sunlight, but since a vampire's eyesight is so much more enhanced the scars are much clearer to our kind's vision no matter the amount of light available," Bella answered calmly coming over to perch on the edge of the bed beside Chris and leaning her chin on her fisted hands. "As to your first question why to put it simply even though you are not acting like your typical newborn you still have a newborn's instinct's and to a new vamp Jasper's scars mean that he is dangerous. It is very hard to damage a vampire's diamond hard skin and in fact there are only a couple of things that can do it one of those being our kinds teeth and fingernails."

Chris absorbed all this silently for a few seconds, before Bella continued, "The fact of the matter is that to most vampires seeing that many scars on one of our kind means that whoever has them had to have survived some of the bloodiest fighting known and that makes even most older vampire's very wary of him. Now imagine the fact that if older, more experienced vamps are weary of him what it would mean for your typical newborn who mostly act on instinct alone for the first three months."

"But I'm not acting on instinct," Chris protested.

"No, you are not, which is very unusual and as far as I know has only happened once before and that was with me. In any case, even though you are a lot more rational than most newborns your instincts are still there and they will tell you that Jasper is dangerous even if you know in your head that he isn't, at least to you, me, your sister and anyone else he considers family."

Chris absorbed that silently for a few moments then said, "So you are saying that he isn't dangerous except to someone he considers an enemy and that even though I know he is my friend my instincts will keep trying to tell me that he can't be trusted and to either fight or flee?"

"That's it exactly," Bella approved patting Chris lightly on the shoulder. "Now if you are ready we'll go down and see him we'll get you some blood as I'm sure your throat is burning something fierce right now as I know mine was when I first woke up."

Chris's eyes widened and one hand went to his throat just now noticing the fierce searing as he had been to distracted earlier taking in everything to notice it. "Um shouldn't I get dressed first?" asked Chris looking down at himself only to discover that he was already in clean clothes that he recognized as his which meant that either Jasper or Bella had been to his and Sofia's apartment to gather some of their things. And then someone had dressed him and he hoped liked hell it had been Jasper.

"As you can see you are already dressed and there is no need to worry that it was me that did it because it was Jasper that went to your apartment and brought back what Sofia told us you wanted to keep as well as some of your clothes and then Jasper dressed you."

"Oh, good," said Chris more then a little relieved at that.

"Now that that is settled let's head downstairs but when you move make sure you concentrate on moving at normal human speed because if you don't you will automatically move at vampire speed which is faster than a speeding bullet."

Bella's joke made Chris laugh for despite the fact that Superman had been around in one form or another since the early twentieth century he was still popular with children of all ages.

Finally after a few seconds Chris nodded and did as Bella had instructed concentrating on moving slowly at a human pace.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

When Bella and Chris made it downstairs a few seconds later it was to find Jasper waiting for them standing as still as a statue his eyes a little wary as he stared at Chris intently. As for Chris he stared at Jasper and he could indeed see some of the scars, which were small, white and crescent shaped, that Bella had mentioned on his upper arms and around his wrists but although his newborn instincts were telling him that Jasper was dangerous and that he should either fight or run away like Bella had warned him would happen he was able to ignore them relatively easily.

When Chris didn't react after a few seconds Jasper began to relax a little after also checking Chris's emotions just to be sure he wasn't preparing to attack.

"Well that went better then I thought it would," said Jasper quietly with a still somewhat nervous chuckle. "One down, one to go."

"You're still my friend, Jasper and you did save my life, well in a way anyway," Chris amended since he knew he was now technically one of the undead. After a few seconds Chris continued, "And even though my instinct's are telling me you are dangerous and not to be trusted I know better in my head so I am able to mostly ignore them."

"Which is quite frankly a damn miracle," said Jasper seeming a little less tense. "In any case now that we have that out of the way I have a question for you before we get you some blood."

"What's your question?" asked Chris curiously trying to ignore the searing in his throat.

"Do you want to drink human blood, or animal blood? If you drink human blood your eyes will be like mine and Bella's, but if you drink animal blood your eyes will turn to gold in six months to a year."

"You mean there's another way?" asked Chris in surprise. "And if you can live off the blood of animals why don't you?"

"I did for a lot of years and I will explain why at a later time, but animal blood is not as satisfying as human blood." When Chris look confused Jasper said, "Consider it the difference between a nice, thick, juicy steak cooked just the way you like it and a piece of overcooked chicken, which one would you rather have time after time especially if it was all your body was capable of processing?"

"Definitely the steak," Chris admitted as he remembered always loving steak and having eaten it at every opportunity when he had been human. Steak was one of the things he was really going to miss now that he couldn't eat normal food.

"Exactly," said Jasper. "Now since we weren't sure what you or your sister would want I brought you a few humans. They are all criminals of course for as we told your sister we do not harm the innocent and especially not children, but if you do decide to go the animal route I will take you hunting in the forest that is nearby."

"I think I would like to wait until my sister wakes up and then we can decide together," said Chris trying to ignore the searing in his throat.

"You're sister probably won't wake up for at least another hour as I didn't bite her until a couple of hours after I had bitten you and I don't think it is a good idea for you to wait that long as if you don't get some blood soon I will be very surprised if you don't try to go out and drain half the town dry. I'm actually quite astounded that you are as coherent as you are or that you have such good control of your instincts."

"Well after what that man did to me and was going to do to my sister if you hadn't shown up when you had I don't think I will feel to guilty draining criminals dry," said Chris after a moment of thought his new and improved vampire brain coming to the conclusion much faster then his human one could ever have hoped for. "I know I should feel guilty as even if he is a mugger or murderer or whatever as he is still a human being, but just thinking about draining someone dry, especially someone who causes harm to other's makes my mouth water in anticipation, figuratively speaking of course."

"Well then why don't I show you what we did with the criminals we brought for you and your sister," said Jasper pleased.

"And once we do that it should be just about time for your sister to be finished with her transformation," added Bella. "And we'll have to go through the whole explanation thing again."

"That shouldn't be to hard, since Chris woke up from his transformation he has been more calm, collected and rational then I expected him to be and Sofia had even more information then he did so in other words she should be even more rational and calm then he is but in any case we'll just have to wait and see."

Chris nodded not saying that he would be glad to get away from the sounds of his sister's screams as hearing her in so much pain made him want to go tear the person who had caused it limb from limb and yet he couldn't do that as he knew the pain was a necessary part of the process.

Jasper led the way outside and Chris took in his surroundings as they walked and noticed that the Whitlocks house was out in the middle of nowhere with not another house in sight. In a way that made sense, Chris realized once he thought about it. Not only would they have their privacy but they would rarely be bothered by humans who could accidentally discover their secret and also they wouldn't be forced to get to know their neighbors and wear contacts, all the time which were bound to be uncomfortable for a vampire with their much better eyesight as he was sure their eyes could detect every little defect in the glass. Plus thanks to the privacy they wouldn't be forced to act human all the time and only on the rare occasions when they went out in public for whatever reason.

"Here we are," said Jasper as they approached a door that appeared to be to an old-fashioned underground root cellar. Well old fashioned except for the fact that the door didn't look weathered and aged and in fact didn't look like it was more then five or ten years old at most as the wood was not warped not to mention it was very thick which Chris assumed was to prevent any humans from escaping.

Jasper took a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door turning on a light that was apparently at the top of the stairs.

"Follow me," said Jasper as he led the way down the stairs and once they got to the bottom Chris looked around and saw that the cellar was quite large and mostly empty except for some barrels of something.

"Jasper, I'm heading back to the house, I don't want Sofia waking up alone," said Bella.

"We'll see you back at the house in probably half an hour or so," Jasper said giving Bella a little hug and kiss before releasing her.

Bella nodded and after giving Chris a little hug she was gone so fast that it was almost like she had never been there at all, but this time unlike just three days ago Chris could actually see her form moving at a speed that was faster then the human eye could follow.

While Chris was watching Bella move as fast as a speeding race car Jasper had taken a remote control out of his pocket and pressed a button immediately causing a door to slide into the wall exposing a secret room.

Chris of course heard the almost silent hissing sound with his new super sensitive hearing and immediately turned around getting ready to react aggressively then he brought himself under control when he saw it was only a secret door sliding open. "In here," said Jasper having noticed Chris's reaction but also being impressed that he had managed to control himself so fast when he saw that there was no danger.

Chris new vampire senses immediately detected at least ten human heartbeats that sped up due to fear when the door to their cell slid open. As Chris took a couple of steps closer he started to detect a sweet scent that not only had his mouth figuratively watering but caused a low growling to emerge from his throat. In a flash without any further encouragement from Jasper, Chris was in the room and immediately latched onto the closest person feeling his instincts take over and he bit into the man's neck without a second thought. As he drank the man struggled which Chris found mildly amusing, but he kept a tight hold of him and eventually the man stopped struggling as his heart slowed then stopped.

Chris tossed the man aside and after a moment decided he was still hungry and so looked around seeing the humans congregated on the other end of the room cowering in fear as they saw their fellow prisoner drained of all his blood in minutes. What kind of people were these monsters? Ones who drank blood for a living? The only conclusion they could come to was that vampires somehow existed instead of being just myth and legend like they had always believed, unless it was some kind of new alien species the human race didn't know about that drank blood which was highly unlikely as there would have been at least rumors if that had been true.

The human criminals watched in fear as the dark haired, red eyed vampire stalked in their direction each wondering who would be the next to die.

Chris however didn't speak and was still so thirsty that he just grabbed the next person dragging him over into the far corner so he could feed in peace. Once the second man was drained Chris throat was still burning just a little and so he went and selected a third person to drain and once he had fed off the man he looked up feeling pretty full.

"All done?" asked Jasper quietly from where he was standing in the doorway.

"I'm feeling pretty full and my throat has finally quit burning."

"Good, why don't you head back to the house while I get rid of the evidence? I'm sure it is about time for your sister to wake up and I know you want to be there."

"Thanks," Chris acknowledged gratefully as using his vampire speed without thinking about it he sped out of the secret room and up the root cellar steps and once he had opened the door to the cellar he was gone in a flash.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

When Jasper arrived back at the house it was to find nobody downstairs so he assumed that both Bella and Chris were upstairs in Sofia's room waiting for her to wake up which would probably be within a few minutes.

"Burned all the evidence in the incinerator?" asked Bella so quietly from where she was standing on the stairs that there was no way Chris could have heard her, which was good. She came down the stairs and went straight into his arms where Jasper was perfectly content hold her close to him having missed the touch of his mate over the last three days.

"Yes," Jasper assured her just as quietly as he didn't want disturb Chris while he was at his sister's bedside. "The bodies will never be found as they are nothing but ash."

"Good," Bella sighed as she contently sat on Jasper's lap and snuggled into his arms. "You realize that our lives are going to change a great deal with the addition of Chris and Sofia, don't you? No more fucking each other anywhere we please for one. No more traveling by ourselves for at least the next ten or twenty years, if not more depending of course on how fast the twins can acclimate so they can be left on their own."

"But you wouldn't have it any other way, and neither would I," said Jasper in a tone of certainty as he knew his wife very well. "I never thought I would ever change anybody else after I changed you, but changing Chris and Sofia was a good decision. Not only were they already good friends that I would have hated to see die so young they will also add something to our lives. I never imagined though that I would be like Carlisle and change somebody on the verge of death in order to save their life, well kind of anyway. I'm not saying I've never changed anyone as I've changed hundreds of newborns in my time Peter and Char included as you well know, but that was during the southern wars and I didn't do it because I wanted to, but because I had to. With Chris and Sofia it's different as I wanted to change them to give them a second chance at life, even if this life is hard in a lot of ways."

"I'm glad you were able to save them," said Bella. "It's funny but the first time I met Sofia I felt as if I had known her all my life as if we were sisters separated at birth and when I met Chris I felt the same way as if I had known him forever even though we had just met."

"I know me to, which is very strange," said Jasper looking thoughtful. "Anyway you had a lot to do with saving Chris's life you know for I truly believe if you hadn't stitched up that wound in his side he wouldn't have lived through the transformation so you were the main reason that he survived in the first place and I'm quite sure holding your breath the whole time you were stitching up his wound was very uncomfortable."

"Well at least I didn't have to hold my breath in the car thanks to those nose plugs Uncle Peter gave me. Who knew that such a thing would come in so useful for a vampire? When Uncle Peter first gave them to me and told he had had one of his hunches that I would need them at some point I thought he was delusional."

Jasper snorted at that as he had often thought the same thing and yet Peter had been right every single time he had one of his hunches and so he had eventually quit thinking of his brother as crazy. More then once one of Peter's hunches had saved his life.

"Anyway, I'm just glad I was able to help," said Bella simply with a nonchalant shrug. "So have you made all the arrangements and opened bank accounts in both their new names?"

"Yes, I just hope I won't have to much difficulty in getting them to accept it. I would have done the same for you of course if it wasn't for the fact that we split the Cullen account four ways and their was plenty of money in it."

"That's the understatement of the millennium," Bella said dryly long past being upset over having so much money to spend of whatever she liked as it had been a hundred years after all.

"In any case it is customary for a new vamp to be given money in order to get them started in this life and it is always the coven leader's responsibility or if it is just a single vamp that changes someone it is that vampire's responsibility to make sure any newborn is well taken care of, with money and other things."

"Like making sure they don't draw attention to themselves by draining half a town?" Bella suggested sarcastically.

Jasper's lips twitched at that but all he said was, "Yes, exactly."

"I should probably get upstairs now so I can explain thing to Sofia as I believe she is close to waking up."

Jasper listened for a moment and he could hear the telltale sign of the heart beginning to speed up just before it slowed down and then stopped completely.

"I believe you are right, it won't be long now," said Jasper. "I'll wait down here for you just like I did when you were talking to Chris."

Bella nodded gave him a passionate kiss and then was gone so she could be at her friend's side when she first woke up to this vert different existence.

Flashback

Peter and Char were due to arrive any minute now and Jasper couldn't help being excited about seeing them as he hadn't seen them in several years. It was true that he had visited them a few times and vice versa while he had been with the Cullens, but still the visits were few and far between because most of the Cullens hadn't approved of him continuing his relationship with them. It was several weeks after Jasper had mentioned inviting them to visit and Bella who was standing beside him had finally given in about meeting Jasper's brother and sister because she had realized she was being selfish keeping Jasper from seeing his family and all just because she was nervous about meeting them.

Jasper had offered to pick them up at the airport but they had told him that they would meet him at the villa and that there was no need.

"Hey bro!" called a tall handsome man with short wavy black hair as he and a very beautiful lady stepped out of an Maserati sports car.

"Peter!" Jasper exclaimed walking out to meet the two of them.

The two men hugged and slapped each other on the back. "It's good to see you," said Peter trying not to appear all broken up over seeing Jasper again after so long.

"How are you doing Char?" Jasper asked giving her a hug. "Are you keeping this no good mischief maker in line." Char was a very beautiful lady with curly blond hair, high cheekbones and was slim and tall. In fact she was only a little shorter then Peter who was almost as tall as Jasper which meant over six feet.

"Hey!" Peter protested trying to look insulted which didn't work as Jasper could feel the happiness just rolling off of him.

"I try," said Char grinning as she returned Jasper's hug, "but you know as well as I do that keeping him out of trouble is nearly impossible."

Jasper, Emmett and Rose snickered because they all knew it was so true.

Peter just grinned and didn't even try to deny the allegation. "So are you going to introduce me to the pretty lady or am I going to have to go up and introduce myself?"

Jasper rolled his eyes and Char hit him hard on the back of the head when Bella looked embarrassed at Peter's words although she tried her best not to show it.

"Peter, Charlotte, this is my mate Bella," Jasper introduced.

"It's nice to met you," said Bella politely shaking their hands.

"And it's nice to finally meet you," said Peter.

"Jasper has told us so much about you we feel as if we know you already," said Char, surprising her by giving her a hug.

Bella relaxed a little and immediately liked Charlotte as she seemed like somebody who wouldn't take much nonsense from her other half before she set him straight.

"And what am I?" whined Peter pouting with his lip stuck out. He looked so ridiculous that everyone including Bella was laughing at him.

"Insignificant," answered Charlotte and Bella at the same time.

Peter pouted again and Bella began to relax which Jasper was grateful for. He sent Peter and Charlotte his silent gratitude and they both nodded when Bella wasn't looking.

"It's good to see you again, Rosalie, Emmett," Charlotte added and Jasper could feel she meant it, which wasn't really all that surprising since they were the only two of the Cullens that had accepted the fact that Peter and Char were his family and more his family then the Cullens ever were.

"It's great to see you to, Charlotte," said Rose, "and Peter to of course," she added with such fake enthusiasm that everybody but Peter laughed.

"What is this pick on Peter day?" asked Peter trying to look upset but wasn't doing a very good job of it as he couldn't stop grinning at the banter.

"Isn't everyday pick on Peter day?" asked Jasper grinning entering the conversation.

"Yes it is," said Charlotte as she gave Peter a hug and a kiss.

Peter pouted and Charlotte said with fake sympathy, "Oh poor baby is upset because we are picking on him."

Bella laughed and her nervousness dissipated completely as she discovered that she really liked Peter and Charlotte a lot. Jasper of course had tried to tell her that she would love them and that they would love her but she hadn't listened as she had been so caught up in her own feelings to pay attention.

"It's really good to see you my man," Emmett told Peter, speaking for the first time since Peter and Charlotte had arrived.

"I'm glad to see you to, Emmett my man," said Peter, bumping fists with him.

"We were so sorry to hear and the death of Carlisle, Esme and Alice," said Charlotte seeming sincere even if she hadn't cared for them very much.

"Oh? I was under the impression that you didn't care for most of the Cullens very much," said Bella tilting her head to the side in a pose that Jasper had come to recognize as an expression of curiosity.

"That's true enough," Peter said gently. "All the Cullens except for Emmett and Rosalie thought we were a bad influence on Jasper, but Char and I can't deny that living with a family of fur munchers is what our brother needed at the time especially with his gift. In that way we will always be grateful to the Cullens for taking him in and giving him a sense of belonging if only for a little while."

"And that of course is where he met you which might not have happened if he hadn't been living with the Cullens at the time, so even though most of the Cullens never accepted us we can still be grateful to them for what they did for Jasper."

"And also be sorry for your loss as we know you cared for them very much," said Peter.

"We are also grateful that Jasper wasn't in the house at the time or we probably wouldn't be having this conversation as he would very likely be dead as well."

Bella thought about their words for a moment then nodded. "I believe I understand."

After that things were much more relaxed but for some reason Bella kept staring at Peter her emotions ones of confusion and bewilderment.

They talked for a long time and it was hours later when everybody left for some time alone.

"Why did you keep staring at Peter earlier?" asked Jasper later when they were alone for the night trying not to sound accusing even though he had sensed that all she had felt while staring at him was confusion and bewilderment as if she knew him and yet couldn't remember from where.

"I feel as if I have met him before although I'm pretty sure I haven't as I would have remembered," said Bella confirming Jasper's thoughts.

"Perhaps you met him as a human and it is one of the memories you lost?" Jasper suggested relaxing a little.

"But wouldn't he have mentioned it if that was the case?" Bella said.

"Probably," said Jasper considering.

"I know I've seen his face somewhere," said Bella clearly frustrated that she couldn't remember where.

"By process of elimination it has to be one of your human memories because either Rose, Emmett or I have been with you since you became a vampire."

Bella was silent and Jasper could tell that she was trying to remember why his face seemed familiar.

"Do you know what Peter's last name was before he was changed?" asked Bella suddenly as if something had just occurred to her.

"No, he told me once that he didn't remember what it was so he took my last name and so did Char even before they were married, why?"

"Well I was thinking that from what I can remember about my family my grandmother Marie on my father's side had a brother that disappeared sometime during the end of World War II. I saw pictures of him of course but it was so long ago as I was just nine, maybe ten when she died and with the change..."

"Your memories are even fuzzier," said Jasper relaxing completely. He supposed it was possible that Peter and Bella were related by blood...unlikely but possible, especially since he had changed Peter in 1945 which was the end of World War II the same time Bella's grandmother, brother had disappeared. The two events had to be related as they had to many similarities not to be and come to think of it they did look a little alike in the bone structure of their faces, the shape of their eyes, mouths and even their hands looked the same both having long, slender fingers. Of course those characteristics alone weren't proof since a lot of people shared them but it was also in certain gestures, the way they stood, or the way they both ran their hand through their hair when they were upset or nervous, the way they would brush the bangs out of their eyes and come to think of it they had the same hair, not the color but the way it laid on their heads and the fact that their hair was wavy and parted the same way just made it more obvious.

"Exactly, so is there any way to find out for sure without telling anyone else until we know," said Bella.

"Well we can check the internet as they have internet sites for such things or maybe it would be better to hire someone who specializes in that kind of thing."

"Hire someone," said Bella immediately. "Someone reputable."

"That ought to be easy enough," said Jasper. "I'm sure we can spin them some kind of story about how you just discovered some photos or something and want to know if he is part of your family."

"Thank you, Jasper," said Bella giving him a kiss. "I know you were worried that something else was going on between us but I have a..." Bella stopped and searched for the right words finally continuing "...feeling if you will that this is the answer."

"If we do find out that he is related to you by blood I hope you realize what a rare gift that is. Most of vampires don't even remember if they had any siblings much less discover a long lost family member that was also changed into a vampire."

"I know, but let's have it confirmed before we say anything shall we? I don't only not want to get my hopes up but Peter's."

"I believe you might be right," said Jasper looking thoughtful. "There are certain characteristics that you both share as well as physical features. You have the same shape to your eyes and you are built the same except he's taller. I know this isn't proof but it makes it more possible then if you didn't share any physical characteristics. Also you both have a way of standing that is exactly the same and now that I think about it you also have some of the same gestures. When you are angry you both put your hands on your hips when you are yelling at someone and you also gesture with your right hand when you are trying to make a point. You also both run your right hand through your hair when you are nervous."

"How do you know?" asked Bella looking confused.

"Vampire memory, remember," teased Jasper gently. "I have seen Peter in all sorts of moods over the years, happy, nervous, angry, sad, smug and many more."

"Oh right," said Bella looking embarrassed that she hadn't thought about the fact that vampire's have perfect recall.

"We can deal with that tomorrow but for now, I have plans for us that don't include discussing my brother."

"And what would those plans be?" asked Bella with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well first..." Jasper began to describe what he wanted to do to her and soon Bella was panting just from his description.

"Well just don't tell me about it, do it," Bella ordered harshly causing Jasper to smirk in satisfaction as he could already smell her arousal and it was obvious that she was already wet and ready for him and that was just from his words alone.

"As you wish, darlin'," said Jasper as he calmly tore his mate's clothes off and started placing open mouth kisses along her mating mark causing her to groan even more then before.

"You're way to overdressed," Bella panted twining one hand into his long blond curly hair while the other ripped off Jasper's clothes in a frenzy of lust. "Now you're not," she added as she started to lick the mating mark on his neck and continued to lick and kiss her way down his chest. It wasn't long before Jasper's empathic ability was out of control as always happened doing sex and he flooded her with his desire, need, lust and love that sent her over the edge and it was only seconds later that he followed.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Can I talk to you?" asked Charlotte as she approached Bella who was outside her back against a tree, enjoying looking at the stars by herself for a change, lost in her own thoughts. It was so refreshing to be able to see the stars so clearly without having to use a telescope like she would have had to if she was still human. It was about a week later and she had just needed sometime to be by herself and think and with so many people around quiet time had become rather scarce. It still amazed her that she didn't need to sleep and she never got physically tired, although her brain could be overloaded and need some downtime in order to function.

"Sure," said Bella patting the ground beside her. She and Charlotte along with Rosalie had become good friends over the last week. "What can I do for you?"

"Well I've caught you staring at Peter a few times and I was just wondering what the deal was, is all."

"There's no need to worry, I love Jasper and I'm not interested in Peter in that way but if I tell you why I have been staring you have to promise me you won't mention it in front of Peter or anyone else for that matter. It won't be forever just until I can figure something out."

"All right," Charlotte agreed relaxing a little.

Bella looked around to make sure nobody else was near and then pulled her shield up just to be safe. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," said Bella seeing Charlotte's expression. "That's my shield and as long as I have it up it will make sure that our conversation doesn't carry, so nobody should be able to hear us, well not unless they get really close anyway and if they get that close we will see them and we can stop talking until they go away."

"This information must be important," said Charlotte relaxing.

"Not really important except to me and maybe Peter," said Bella. "Now I didn't want to say anything until I was certain but when I first met your husband he reminded me of someone. Who I didn't know as it was more of an impression then anything else, like deja vu you know? Jasper and I talked about it, and by the way Jasper thought the same thing you did, that I had romantic feelings for Peter even though all he ever sensed was confusion and bewilderment from me. Once we got that straightened out we figured that maybe I had met him while I was human and yet if I had he would have said something right?"

"Yes," said Charlotte wondering where this was going. "And Peter and I are almost always together so if he had met you before I would have known it."

"Well from what I remember of my human life my grandmother, Marie had a brother who disappeared sometime near the end of World War II and if I remember correctly his name was Peter. I remember vaguely her showing me pictures of a young, handsome man who looked to be no more then twenty-two or three at most."

"No, you don't think that Peter is your great-uncle by blood?" asked Charlotte her expression beyond shocked.

"Do I know for certain, no, which is why with Jasper's help I hired someone to look into my family tree. Everytime I look at Peter the impression that I should know him becomes stronger which is why I have been staring so much. I was just nine maybe ten when my grandmother died so my memories would already have been faded and with the change they became even more so."

Charlotte was silent for a while and Bella gave her plenty of time to absorb what she had been told, when she finally spoke, she said, "Do you know what this would mean to him if you turn out to be right?"

"Yes," said Bella quietly, "It's the main reason I haven't said anything as I didn't want to get his hopes up if I turn out to be wrong. Also Jasper has seen some similarities between us, the shape of the eyes, the bone structure of the face, even our body structure is similar. This is not proof, I know, since a lot of people have the same features, but Jasper also said that some of our gestures are the same, like the way we run our hand through our hair when we are nervous for instance."

"You're right," said Charlotte finally relaxing. "Now that I'm looking for it I can see the similarities. Your smiles are exactly the same for instance. I'm sorry if I thought you were going to go after my mate."

"It's okay," said Bella with a smile. "I probably would have thought the same if it had been me, but just so you know, I love Jasper and I don't think I could live without him which I am sure is how you feel about Peter."

"Yes," said Charlotte with a soft smile.

"When I realized that the feelings I had been having for Jasper even while I was dating fuckwad meant we were mates I was very happy, because even though I didn't know much about him, as you know who kept me away, it still made me feel... complete," said Bella.

"Yes that is exactly how I felt about Peter," said Charlotte. "So when do you think you will know if you and Peter are related?"

"I'm not sure," said Bella truthfully. "Luckily for me before I went through the change me and Jasper talked about my family as he wanted me to know as much as I could about where I came from. I think that desire stems from the fact that he can't remember much about his family other then that he had a brother, whom he can't even remember the name of. Anyway thanks to me telling Jasper all about my family, my mother's and grandmothers, maiden names, what month and year they were born, things like that, it is relatively easy to trace my family tree back, just very time consuming."

"But you don't have to go that far back," Charlotte pointed out.

"Well I thought if I turned out to be right that Peter might want to know about where he came from and about his ancestors."

"He has always wanted to know more about his family but since he couldn't even remember his last name after his change it was impossible to trace his family line back. Both of us will be in your debt forever if you do turn out to be a blood relative," said Charlotte.

"Nonsense," said Bella dismissing Charlotte's words. "Even if we aren't related by blood we are still family because you are Jasper's brother and sister. Sometimes people who don't share the same blood can be more family then those they are related to."

"You sound as if you are speaking from experience," said Charlotte gently.

"I am," said Bella and began to tell Charlotte all about her life growing up and how hard it had been. "The final straw though was the fact that the woman who had birthed me didn't even bother to show up at her ex-husband's...my father's funeral. I was the only family member present and I know if it hadn't been for Jasper I would have had a harder time handling it. The funny thing is that when I met the Cullens, even though I was human in a house full of vampires, I was more comfortable and felt more at home then I ever had growing up."

"I am so sorry that your mother treated you like that," said Charlotte, giving her a hug. "Mother's are supposed to look after their children, not the other way around."

"Well Renee was very...flighty," said Bella with a shrug.

"You seem very accepting of what your mother did to you," said Charlotte cautiously as she saw a wicked, but pleased gleam in Bella's ruby red eyes.

"Well, my mother had hurt me so much over the years that Jasper and I kind of did something about it," said Bella.

"What did you and Jasper do?" asked Charlotte curiously.

"I don't want you to think any less of me if I tell you," said Bella looking down at the ground so Char couldn't see her expression.

"I won't," Charlotte promised. "Remember Peter and me have the same kind of past as The Major and we know better then most that sometimes violence is part of a vampire's nature not to mention the need for revenge. Also once you're a vampire your emotions are a lot stronger then when you were human."

"Well, I got my revenge," said Bella slowly finally looking up with a wicked little smile on her lips.

"What did you do?" Charlotte repeated with a raised eyebrow.

Bella immediately began to describe what she and Jasper had done and Charlotte listened in silence not even shuddering or looking horrified until she was done.

Charlotte shook her head and said, "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"You don't have to worry," Bella assured her with a laugh, "although I don't feel the least guilty or ashamed for what I did, I'm normally a very forgiving person. It takes some special circumstance for me to do that kind of thing and beside you would never do to me what Renee did. I already think of you as a sister just like Rose."

"Well from what you told me your mother and stepfather deserved what they got," said Charlotte looking pleased that Bella thought of her as a sister.

"I know that violence is in the human nature and that is even more true as a vampire but even if I had still been human I think I would have found a way to deal with them without getting thrown into prison. I was so...hurt when Renee didn't even show up at Charlie's funeral. Even if she hadn't come to see her ex-husband buried she could have come to comfort her only daughter."

"Yes, yes she could have," Char agreed.

"I loved my father very much," said Bella quietly, "more then I ever loved my mother. I know I grew up with her, but my father showed more concern about my wellbeing even though I only saw him during holidays or the summer, then the woman who birthed me ever did."

"Oh, Bella, you've been carrying this around for a while haven't you," said Char sympathetically pulling Bella into a hug.

"It isn't just what happened to my father, it's everything that led up to that point and what happened afterwards."

"And you've been adapting to being a vampire to and that in itself is hard and even if you've been doing extremely well all these added stresses are not good when you are already dealing with so much."

"I'll handle it, I have to," said Bella setting her shoulders her expression determined.

"Bella you don't need to handle all this alone," said Char sounding exasperated. "Jasper is there for you to lean on just like he leans on you when he has to. A relationship is about sharing your problems and concerns not keeping it all bottled up inside. It's about loving someone enough to work though whatever is bothering you, even if they don't involve your relationship."

"I know, you're right, but I just feel like I depend on Jasper for to much already."

"That's what love is all about, sugar," Char told her. "When you love someone you do whatever you can to help them when they are having problems. I think the fact that since you basically raised yourself has you all screwed up at what a relationship is supposed to be all about and it didn't help that your mother was a whore and your father although he loved you was not the best example of a parent as it sounds likes he basically left you on your own while he either worked or went fishing. It was true you were very responsible but it is still a parent's responsibility to provide for the child, not for the child to provide for the parent. It is the parent's responsibility to make sure the child is cared for and loved so they grow up safe, secure and aware of their own worth and from what you told me your mother failed to provide these things that all children need to grow up as happy, healthy, well-adjusted adults."

"But I was seventeen, almost eighteen," Bella protested.

"That doesn't mean you don't still need a parent's support and since you never really got any as a child that makes a huge difference. Perhaps if you had grown up like a normal child it would be different but since you didn't, well you get the idea. Until you met the Cullens you didn't have much of a support system and everybody needs that whether they are a child or adult. Everyone needs someone they can confide in and get advice from whether that is your best friend, a parent or an adult."

Bella bit her bottom lip deep in thought. "You're right," Bella admitted. "I suppose I have been keeping things from Jasper as I didn't want to worry him since he is already dealing with so much already."

"But so are you," Charlotte pointed out.

"I know," said Bella. "Well I suppose I had better talk the Jasper as soon as he gets home."

"That would be a good idea," Charlotte agreed as Bella let down her shield.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"So you and Bella are going to be working for the Volturi," said Peter as he drove the car he had rented towards Florence as they were going to pick up a few things while the girls stayed behind which was their own choice.

Jasper shrugged, "It's only for a decade and you know as well as I do that they aren't as evil as Carlisle always made them out to be. Sure they can be cruel, bloodthirsty, vain, selfish and so what that they like the finer things in life but no more then Carlisle, Esme and Alice used to, although on a more grand and gaudy scale."

"I know that I just never thought you would go that route, not to mention going back to drinking human blood."

"Bella set me straight," said Jasper as he chuckled remembering. "She told me that she always thought it was weird that the Cullens drank animal blood seeing as drinking humans blood is natural for us. She also told me she didn't see anything wrong with me drinking from humans as she didn't feel guilty for eating a steak, but if I did decide to go that route that she would prefer if I went after criminals. I had never thought about going after murderers, rapists and the like and I realized that I probably wouldn't feel the guilt that I did when I just grabbed someone innocent and fed."

"Your Bella is a very unusual woman and I can't wait to know her better."

"Well now that Carlisle and Esme are gone, there's no one to object or silently disapprove if you decide to visit us or if Bella and I decide to visit you. I suspect we'll see much more of each other from now on and Rosalie and Emmett to as they have always liked you and Charlotte."

"Yeah they were the only Cullens I ever liked, besides you of course," Peter said teasingly.

Jasper shrugged nonchalantly, "Living with the Cullens was what I needed at the time and I might not have met Bella otherwise so for that alone I will always be grateful."

"Yeah, your Bella seems like one of a kind."

"Oh trust me she is," said Jasper chuckling. "Most humans would run screaming if they discovered a family of vampires living practically next door and yet she takes it all in stride and instead of having what would be a natural reaction, she makes friends with them and even dates one of them."

"And said vampire then treats her like an object instead of like someone who has a right to have her opinions taken into account."

"Exactly," said Jasper.

"So what are you going to do with Edward when you catch him?" asked Peter with a smirk already knowing how Jasper thought when it came to getting revenge on someone who had hurt someone he cared about and with Bella whom was his mate, his other half, his reason for existing he would be triply furious and thinking of ways to torture Edward for months or even years.

Jasper smirked evilly and described in gruesome detail precisely what he and Bella wanted to do to Edward once he was caught.

Peter didn't seem at all put out when Jasper finished. "You have one hell of a woman if she is willing to let out her demon and torture someone even if he deserves it."

"Once you really get to know her, you'll see that she is one of the most gentle, forgiving and compassionate people you have ever known. She accepts everyone with her whole heart, well until they hurt her like Edward did, but you'll also find that she can be quite vengeful as well when she is at the limit of the bullshit she can take. What Edward did to her, not only by attacking her but by killing three people she loved was the limit of what she was willing to forgive him for. Edward went to far and Bella is eager for him to be caught not only so we can get on with our lives but so she can have closure as he is the last loose end she needs to tie up from her human life."

"I agree that Edward needs to be dealt with," said Peter. "If he is willing to kill his creator and for no other reason then Bella broke up with him..."

"I'm sure that was just the catalyst and that he would have gone insane sooner or later."

"You're probably right," Peter conceded with a shake of his head.

The two old friends just sat for a while enjoying the silence and each other's company.

"I'm glad you finally came back to us, Major," said Peter finally breaking the silence his voice sounding all broken up with emotion.

"I am to," said Jasper slapping Peter on the back.

"So how do you feel now that you are back to feeding on humans?"

"Excellent!" exclaimed Jasper. "Bella was right that feeding on criminals, I don't feel the least bit guilty for ending their lives like I would if I went after someone innocent."

"And your thirst?" asked Peter.

"I feel better then I have in a long, long time," Jasper admitted. "Since I went back to drinking human blood, I no longer have that slight burning in the back of my throat that was always there no matter how much animal blood I drank. For the first time in decades I feel full and also feel like I can be around humans more then I ever could before as long as I'm well fed beforehand."

"Bella has really done wonders for you," said Peter shaking his head in astonishment and amazement. "You never would have been this confident if not for her."

"I know which was why I so relieved that she survived the change, if she hadn't...," said Jasper quietly.

"There's no need to tell me what would have happened if your Bella had died," said Peter just as quietly, "since I feel the same way about Char, so let's just be grateful that she did survive."

"I don't think I have to worry about her not being able to take care of herself as Rose and Emmett have been teaching her to fight and I taught Rose everything I know."

"Why aren't you teaching her yourself?"

"We can't hurt each other because of the mating bond as you should know," said Jasper. "We tried and it's like trying to walk against an ocean current would be for a human, nearly impossible. I can send her positive emotions, but I can't send her feelings like hate or anger or at least not without difficulty. Bella on the other hand can't use her shield to hurt me although she can use it to protect me or to stop someone like Edward from reading my thoughts."

"That's what I suspected but didn't know for sure as neither Char or I have such strong talents that would be good to use in a battle situation."

The two men fell silent again no needing to talk to enjoy each others company.

"So when are you going to ask her to marry you?" asked Peter.

"I thought I'd wait until we have this whole Edward situation taken care of," said Jasper. "I'm not even sure Bella wants to get married as she is slightly leery of the idea due largely to her parents divorce. I've already had this conversation with Emmett who and I quote 'wanted me to make an honest woman out of his baby sister.'"

"Well you know what they say, great minds think alike."

"Let me tell you what happened to Emmett when he ticked off Bella," said Jasper changing the subject.

"Do tell," said Peter and so Jasper went on to describe how Emmett had called Bella by her full name like ten times in twenty minutes and how he had lost his hand as Bella had torn it clean off. He told how she refused to give it back to him for more than a full day and only after he had promised to never call her Isabella again.

Peter roared with laughter at the story and when he finally stopped Jasper said, "Let that be a warning to you, never call her Isabella if you don't want more trouble then you know what to do with. If you do after she has asked you not to call her that expect her to get you back in some way you will never expect." Jasper smirked and added, "I am the only one allowed to call her that as she told me that she likes how I say it and is why I went back to my original accent as she also said that she loves how I speak as my Texas accent drives her wild."

"I had wondered why you had gone back to your original accent and all it takes is for your mate to tell you that she loves your accent in order for you to go back to it," said Peter with a smirk.

"What can I say, except for a long time I dropped the accent because I was pretending to be the twin of Rose but now that we aren't pretending anymore there is no reason I can't start using the accent I grew up with."

"That's true enough," Peter admitted.

They spent the rest of their time without the girls trading stories and just talking catching up on what the other had been doing since the last time they had seen each other.

End Flashback

An hour and a half later both Chris and Sofia sat on the couch side by side. Sofia had fed not more then forty-five ago and she to had decided to feed on humans which Jasper was happy about as that meant that he wouldn't have to teach either of them how to hunt animals although he would have if he had had to but luckily that wasn't necessary. It was also pretty amazing that both of the twins were so coherent and could hold a logical conversation which made Jasper wonder briefly why he couldn't have had this easy a time when he was changing humans into newborns during the southern wars.

"So how are you finding be vampires so far?" asked Bella curiously genuinely interested to hear the answer.

"It's a little...overwhelming," Sofia answered while Chris nodded in agreement.

"It can be," Jasper agreed, "but I'll tell you right now you two are doing extremely well. I really didn't expect you to be so coherent or even be able to tell what's going on around you for at least the first three months."

"Why?" asked Chris curiously as Sofia looked curious as well.

"When you first become a vampire there are a lot of changes that take place within your body. Your organs come to a standstill, you go from using just a little of your brain's capacity to using all of it which is mainly what causes most newborns to act on instinct for the first year as they get used to the changes. Not only that, but your skin hardens to the point that it is very hard to injure one of our kind and you also get much improved hearing, sight and sense of smell. You can also run as fast as the wind and for a long as you want without getting out of breath or tired as technically we don't need to breathe."

"Any downsides?" asked Sofia curiosity lacing her voice.

"Well you may notice that on both of you your hair as well as fingernails lengthened just a little and the problem with that is you can never cut either one for they will never grow back. Also we can never go out in the sunlight but only when it is either dark, rainy or cloudy out."

"Why?" asked Chris curiosity in his tone as well as radiating off him. "What do we do turn to ash if we stand in direct sunlight, or something?" This was said half jokingly.

"No," Bella giggled. "It's because we sparkle in the sunlight. It's like millions of tiny diamonds are embedded in our skin. Out of direct sunlight we just look inhumanly handsome or beautiful but if even a ray of sunlight hits any portion of exposed skin especially if you happen to be in a public place...well you get the idea I'm sure."

"That would sure give us away if anybody happened to see," said Sofia still trying to absorb what she had been told.

"Precisely."

"Anyway another downside is you never age and although that has some advantages it also has disadvantages as you can never stay in one place for to long for fear of someone noticing. Also we don't sleep so it is sometimes hard to keep busy when you don't waste seven or eight hours every night resting. The only other downside that I can think of is, well besides the fact that we have to drink blood is the fact that we have to live outside of society and we really don't have any close friends outside of the vampire community, because most people avoid us instinctively sensing the predator within us."

"You did," Chris pointed out.

"Yes we did, but that is not the usual thing among our kind as most are either wanderers going from place to place or live in covens of three or four or sometimes five at most for mutual protection. You two were different just like Bella was back when she was still human for you didn't seem to sense the predator within either of us."

"I did," Chris admitted, "but Sofia liked Bella a great deal and I've always trusted my sister's judgement as she can usually sense the good in people, so I ignored it."

"Good thing to or you would more than likely be dead," said Bella with a smile.

"I've been meaning to ask how you even knew we were in trouble in the first place," said Chris.

"Well as I told Sofia while we still in the car bringing you here after you are changed certain traits that you had as a human are augmented. I was born in Houston Texas in the eighteen hundreds and even as a boy I could always talk myself out of trouble or get somebody to believe what I told them and it didn't seem to matter how old they were. After I was changed that talent turned into the empathic ability I have now."

"Empathic ability?" asked Chris. "Does that mean you can feel other peoples emotions?"

"Exactly, except for the fact that I don't just feel them but also make other people feel whatever I want them to. I can make someone feel, happiness, sadness, anger, fear, hate or any other emotion you can name and that is how I woke you up when you were unconscious. Anyway what this is leading to is that I have a brother Peter whom I also changed and he has this talent for knowing things he shouldn't. It comes in the form of hunches and he's always right so when he called me and told me that he had one of his hunches that you were about to get yourself into a whole load of trouble I listened to him. He said and I quote: 'You will have two newborns to deal with and they will take your last name,' unquote."

"Why would we need to take your last name?" asked Chris looking confused.

"You see Chris it is like this," said Bella speaking for the first time. "Now that you are a vampire nobody can know that you are still alive as our kind must remain myths so it is a bad idea for you to keep using your last name at least for the next fifty or sixty years anyway because despite the fire Jasper set at your apartment in order to make it look like you died somebody might still be looking for you and even if they aren't the fire is bound to be on the news and your names might be mentioned as being victims."

"I see," said Chris after a moment of absorbing that. "So you set a fire at our apartment house and probably put bodies in there that resembled us as closely as possible just in case the fire didn't destroy the evidence."

"Exactly," Jasper agreed pleased that Chris understood and didn't wasn't upset that they had set a whole apartment building on fire. "The fire should do the trick as I know how to set up a scene like that. As you now know I've been around a long, long time and I've had to do that kind of thing more than once in my life. Don't worry about the other residents as I made sure I pulled the fire alarm in the building before I left the area."

"Also you should be aware that Jasper and I have already made plans for all of us to leave the area in just a couple of days as it is a bad idea for us to stay here since people might recognize you if somebody comes to the house for instance."

"Where will we go?" asked Sofia.

"There's no need to worry about that as Jasper and I own houses all over the world, including Italy, France, Spain, Texas, Phoenix and many more places besides," Bella smirked. "We also have our own shuttle."

"Why would you need your own shuttle?" asked Chris confused. "Isn't that terribly expensive?"

"Simply because being around humans is hard enough in a place like the mall what with our much better noses we can smell the blood running in their veins not to mention see it under their practically translucent skin. Now imagine all those human normally packed together on a shuttle and tell me it wouldn't be torture to not drain every single one?"

"Not to mention the smell of a commercial shuttle," said Jasper wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"Back before shuttles were invented I often flew on a plane to visit my father in Forks during the summer and on holidays and planes used to smell just as bad as shuttles do now. Not to mention I was human back then and didn't have a vampire's enhanced sense of smell so just imagine if the smell was bad on a commercial plane to a human how much worse the smell would be to a vamp's nose and no longer wonder why we have our own shuttle."

"Not to mention in this instance it is a very good thing as you are newborns and you are nowhere near ready to be around so many humans. I've already said that you are more rational then most newly made vampires and while that is very true that doesn't mean you have complete control of your instincts. I guarantee you if I was to take you around humans right now I would be very surprised if you didn't drain them dry without really thinking about what you were doing simply because your vampire instincts would take over and it takes a long time for most vampires to learn to control them."

"You seem to know a lot about that kind of thing?" said Sofia looking at Jasper quizzically as she remembered him telling her that he would tell them his story someday. Bella of course had been the first one along with Chris to see her awake and when she hadn't seen Jasper and asked where he was Bella had explained the same things that she had to Chris and thanks to that information she had been able to ignore her newborn instincts to either fight or run when she had seen him for the first time as a vampire and seen all his scars.

"I have a long, bloody history and I'm not sure if you two are ready to hear it quite yet," said Jasper simply. "I promise I will tell you one day soon but not today. I will say however that I have changed more than a few vampires in my time and leave it at that. In any case there is something else that Bella and I have been wanting to discuss with you."

"What's that?" asked Chris.

"Well when a vampire changes someone it is customary for the new vamp or vamps to be given enough money to get started in this life and also taught how to invest the money wisely so that it will grow. Since I am the one that changed you it is my responsibility to make sure you are taken care of, that you are trained how to fight as well as keeping you out of any trouble that would make people aware of our existence. Anyway what this is leading to is that while you were both in the throes of the change I opened up two accounts for each of you under the names Chris and Sofia Whitlock. I have also gotten our documents person started on new IDs, passports, visa, credit cards and everything else you will need to get started in this new life."

"Jasper you really shouldn't have," Sofia protested looking like she was about to say something else when both Bella and Jasper burst out laughing

"What's so funny?" asked Sofia looking confused and a little hurt as to why her two friends were laughing their heads off and Chris looked curious as well.

"Sorry," Bella apologized looking as if she was sorry she had hurt Sofia's feelings. "It's just that your reaction is very similar to mine when I first found out that Jasper, Emmet and Rosalie had opened up several accounts in my name." Bella sobered as she continued, "When Carlisle his mate Esme and Alice all died they left behind quite a lot of money. Carlisle being the smart man he was had made sure that all his family had access to not only his accounts, but to everybody's. He wasn't expecting to die, but he thought it was prudent that the family have access to each other's accounts just in case. In any case when they died Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie made sure to clean out all the Cullen accounts and that added up to quite a bit of money, which they then split four ways. When I discovered what they had done I was furious and since I was still a newborn I was perfectly capable of tearing all three of them limb from limb since newborns are stronger for their first year of existence."

"We were only going to keep the fact she had more money then she knew what to do with until after her newborn year was over and she could no longer literally tear us apart, but it sort of slipped out and she was beyond furious when she discovered what we had done. It took me a while to get her to see that Carlisle and Esme considered her a daughter and would have wanted her to have a share of their money."

"Back when I was human I was used to working for everything I had and to just have so much money handed to me on a golden platter seemed dishonest. I finally came to realize though that Jasper was right and since I was now a vampire it wasn't like I could work a nine to five job. Besides just because we don't eat doesn't mean we don't need other things, clothes, more than one place to live since our kind has to move around fairly often, things to entertain us since our kind doesn't sleep, traveling expenses things like that."

"How much money are we talking about?" asked Chris cautiously.

"One billion dollars apiece," Jasper told them calmly.

Both Sofia and Chris gasped at Jasper as if he had just grown an extra head. "One billion dollars?" Chris sputtered.

"Apiece?" Sofia repeated sounding shocked. "I didn't know anybody had that kind of money except movies stars anymore."

Bella and Jasper chuckled appreciatively at that.

"Isn't that, well, excessive?" Chris asked.

"Trust me I thought the same thing you did when I found our how much I had inherited from the Cullens, but no that amount isn't excessive simply because as Jasper pointed out to me a long time ago our kind live forever. Five hundred years from now you will be grateful for the money and for the fact that Jasper taught you how to invest so that it will grow so you always have plenty. You already know that this can be a hard life in a lot of ways but having money does help to ease it at least somewhat and trust me when I say that two billion dollars is quite literally a mere drop in the bucket."

"What has the world suddenly come to an end? Isabella Marie Swan Whitlock is actually admitting that she is grateful for the money the Cullens left her? Are you sure you don't have a fever or that you aren't dying as I seem to remember when you found out you were ready to rip all three of us apart?" Jasper teased her.

Bella rolled her eyes at her husband and punched him in the arm playfully. "So sue me, I eventually came around to your point of view."

"And when did this miracle occur?" asked Jasper teasingly.

"When I realized that Carlisle, Esme and Alice were truly gone," Bella told Jasper soberly, "which happened a couple of years after I became a vampire."

Jasper put his arms around her and held her close to him tenderly as Bella put her head on his shoulder still looking sad.

"It's been just over a hundred years since they were murdered, but it is still very painful to think about them so I try not do it to often," Bella explained to Chris and Sofia. "I thought of Carlisle and Esme as parent figures and Alice as a sister and unlike with humans, vampire memories never fade and I just happened to keep those particular ones after I was changed so in a way it will always be painful to think about them."  
"You said they were murdered," said Chris, "how is that possible? I would think it was impossible to murder one of our kind."

"Although it is very hard to kill our kind it is possible, but in this case what killed Carlisle, Esme and Alice was the betrayal of a family member," Jasper began. "We try not to say his name or even think about him for it just gets everyone who knew him upset." Jasper went on to explain all about Edward and the fact that he and Bella had been dating at one point until she had discovered they were mates.

"Anyway Edward thought the answer to his and Bella's break up and the fact that Carlisle threw him out of the family was to trap Carlisle and Esme in Carlisle's study which was just a little room with no windows, chocked full of books some of which were hundreds of years old and it also had other memorabilia from his centuries of living. He also trapped Alice in her bathroom which also had no windows, well except for one of those very small ones that is barely big enough for a small child to wriggle through and although Alice was quite small she wasn't quite that tiny. The thing is that it should have been impossible to do something like that and catch Alice unaware because of her gift to see the future but since Edward knew of her gift and in fact had lived with it day in and day out for decades he also knew how to get around it."

"It wasn't an easy thing to do but if you knew how it worked it was possible for if Alice had known she would have warned Carlisle and Esme and they would have gotten out of there. Thinking of the fire still sends shiver down my spine because I realized a long time ago that it could have been Jasper who had died that day if he, Emmett, and Rosalie hadn't been out in the forest hunting and if he had I wouldn't be alive either for mates cannot live without the other once that bond has been acknowledged."

"What happened to Edward?" asked Chris already knowing answer.

"He's dead," Jasper said evenly looking grim. "Once Bella was six months old we called the Volturi who are our rulers and Aro was furious when he found out about Carlisle's death simply because that at one point in time he and Carlisle were very good friends. Also Aro realized he couldn't continue to let an insane vampire run around loose as he might accidentally or on purpose reveal the vampire world to the human race."

"In any case Edward showed up at the villa that Jasper had rented for the duration of our stay in Italy and up until that point he had apparently not realized that I was a vampire. He assumed that he could show up and I would realize I had been mistaken about Jasper's feelings for me and know he was just using me and I would follow him like some kind of tame puppy dog. Jasper wasn't there at the time and neither were Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper had left to spend some time alone with his brother Peter as he and Charlotte were visiting and they hadn't seen each other in a long time. Charlotte and I had decided to stay back at the villa just to spend some time together so we could get to know each other a little better. Anyway Edward had somehow managed to track me down and had apparently been watching the villa for some time and when he saw Jasper and Peter leave he assumed I would be alone but when he discovered that Charlotte was with me he was beyond furious."

"One thing we never mentioned was that Edward could read minds and he assumed that even if Charlotte knew how to fight he would be able to defeat her since he would be able to read her every move before she even made it, just pluck it right out of her head."

"Boy did he get a shock," said Bella as she giggled remembering.

"What happened?" asked Chris fascinated just like any read blooded American boy would be at the thought fighting.

"Well you see I was the only one that Edward was never able to read the mind of even when I was human and we discovered that once I was a vampire that talent was able to be projected out of my body. I can now use what Jasper calls a shield to protect him, Emmett, Rosalie and now of course you two but also we discovered that I actually have two shields, one that can be projected out of my body in order to protect those I love and the other is a mental shield that protects my mind from being read or any kind of mental based power being used. In any case Edward was not prepared for the fact that I had been taught to defend myself as he thought Jasper was just like him and that I wouldn't be taught the skills that all vampires need to know."

"That idiot might have been able to read my mind and might have lived with me for seventy years but he still didn't know what I was really like. He thought just because of my violent past I was evil and he also thought he knew me but the truth was he didn't really know a damn thing about me. I was very proud that Bella took down Edward on her own and didn't need any help from Charlotte at all."

"All I did was trap him within my shield." Bella laughed then as she remembered what had happened right afterwards.

"What's so funny?" asked Sofia.

"Its just that Edward was moving so fast and I had raised my shield just as he would have bumped into it and not only did he do that but he hit it at an angle and it sliced his arm right off. His arm looked as if it had been removed with a laser scalpel the cut was so clean and precise. Edward didn't want to believe at first it was me that had done that to him and he kept telling me we were mates and that Jasper was controlling my emotions although how he could be considering he wasn't even in the vicinity at the time I don't know."

"What a scumbag," both Chris and Sofia said together.

"Yes I agree for even though we didn't know each other as well back then as we do now I knew Jasper was to honorable a man to ever do something like that and besides even he couldn't have kept controlling my emotions all the time if that had been the case I would have realized it by now and left him, but how can I leave him when he is my very air, the reason for my continued existence? If I did try to leave for whatever reason it would be like ripping my own soul in two as Jasper is my life," said Bella as she contently snuggled into her mate's lap curled up almost like a cat. Jasper kissed her on the top of her head and put his arms around her holding her lovingly.

Sofia sighed looking melancholy and a little sad as she saw the love between Jasper and Bella. Of course she had always known that they loved each other deeply and she had often wished that she could find a love so strong and lasting.

"Edward must have truly been an idiot for I've always been able to tell since we met you that both of you love each other more than most people ever find in their whole lives." Sofia sighed then and asked, "Do you think I will ever find my mate?"

"Maybe someday," said Bella. "I really hope both of you do for as you will discover eternity is a long time to spend alone and even if you have family or friends it is not quite the same as a mate."

"That's true," said Jasper. "When I lived with the Cullens I was content, but not truly happy until I discovered that Bella and I were meant to be mates. Since I discovered that and Bella agreed to become a vampire and remain at my side I have been happy every day as long as we are together. Despite what happened afterwards as long as I have Bella I am not only truly happy, but also content for I feel complete. Even before I lived with the Cullens I knew something was missing from my life for all I had to do was watch Peter and Char, or Carlisle and Esme or even Emmett and Rosalie to realize what that something was."

All four were silent for a while then Bella spoke up, "By the way we have a surprise for both of you."

"What?" asked Chris, "You've already done so much for both of us that it would just be selfish to ask for anything more."

"You're not asking, we're giving it to you," said Jasper knowing precisely what his mate was talking about.

"So what is it?" asked Sofia feeling curious despite herself.

"Well, I'm sure you remember that man that attacked you?" asked Bella.

"Yeah, I've been wondering what happened to him," said Sofia in what was almost a growl as she thought of what that man had done to her brother and would have done to her if Jasper and Bella hadn't interfered.

"Well we thought you two might want a little revenge so we've been saving him for you," added Jasper

"Where is he? I didn't see him in that secret room you took me to so I could feed just a couple of hours ago," asked Chris eagerly rubbing his hands together and raising one of his black eyebrows in question.

"Neither did I," Sofia added.

"We kept him in a separate place as we figured you and Sofia would both like to get in a little revenge together. Feel free to torture him for we certainly won't stop you if that is what you want or if you only want to drain him dry you can do that to," said Bella.

"Normally I would find torturing someone disgusting and abhorrent but if anybody deserves it it is him. It's not that Chris and I aren't grateful that you were there and saved our lives but if this man had just left when we gave him all the money we had or just left us alone entirely none of this would have happened. I mean what was this man thinking attacking a couple of college students? Most students don't have a great deal of money so why didn't he go after a richer target instead of a couple of college kids?

"Who knows what he was thinking or even if he was thinking at all?" said Bella as she came over to put her arm around Sofia's shoulder's sympathetically.

"Have you ever hated someone so much that you just wanted to torture them for months or even years," said Chris curiously with a raised eyebrow that was a mannerism that was identical to his sister's.

"Yes, both Jasper and I hated Edward that much and when he was finally caught both of us tortured him along with Emmett and Rosalie for more than a month and since he was a vampire he couldn't actually die unless we set him on fire. As anybody who really knows me knows I am usually a very compassionate and forgiving individual but what Edward did hurt all of us. Carlisle, Esme and Alice didn't deserve to die just because he was acting like an asshole. Did you know that he actually came to my house and attacked me when Jasper was out hunting?"

"No!" The twins gasped shocked as Jasper growled since the incident still made him furious whenever it was mentioned despite the fact that Edward had been dead a hundred years.

"Oh yes," said Bella. "It was about a week after Jasper and I had started dating and I had broken up with Edward, actually. Jasper went to hunt because he didn't want to take the chance of hurting me despite the fact that mates are not supposed to be able to harm each other. Anyway I was fixing myself some breakfast as Jasper had told me he would pick me up in a couple of hours as we were supposed to go out on a date when Edward just let himself into my house without a by your leave." Bella's eyes darkened as she remembered the incident. "When I ordered him to leave he refused and tried to convince me that Jasper was controlling my emotions and I finally decided that if he wasn't going to leave I was, but he grabbed me by the arm and told me I was his and I had better get used to it. I cussed at him then and back then I very rarely did so Edward thought it was a good idea to slap me across the cheek hard enough that my head snapped back. I was actually surprised at he time that I didn't at least end up with whiplash. Jasper came in just minutes later and looked as furious as I've ever seen him before or since. He then tossed me his phone and sent me outside to call Carlisle and so he could deal with Edward without me watching. Thanks to Alice I didn't even have a chance to dial the number as she had seen what was happening and sent Carlisle Emmett and Rosalie over to help."

"Why didn't Alice see what was happening before it had even began so it could have been prevented entirely?" asked Chris curiously.

"I would think that would be obvious, brother dear," said Sofia who had already figured it out. When Chris still hadn't figured it out after a few moments she added, "Remember when they told us that it was possible to get around Alice's talent if you knew how?"

"Oh I see," said Chris finally understanding. "Edward stopped himself from making any definite decisions because if he had Alice would have seen it."

"Exactly," said Bella. "It wasn't until near the end of of our confrontation that Edward stopped concentrating on blocking Alice out which was why Carlisle, Emmett and Rosalie showed up when they did."

"Emmett was as furious as I had ever seen him as usually he is very easygoing and laidback," Jasper added as he remembered, "but on the other hand he considered Bella a little sister even while she was human and always has from the very first moment they met."

"And my brother bear has always been protective of the people he loves," said Bella smiling before adding, "Anyway Carlisle told me at the time that I was damn lucky that Edward hadn't taken my head off with the blow and in fact he only bruised the skin and the bones underneath but hadn't actually cracked them."

"He didn't actually crack your cheekbones?" asked Sofia in shock knowing how difficult that was.

"Nope and I remember wishing at the time that he had as it would have healed faster. I had trouble talking or eating for weeks because of the pain thanks to shithead."

"Emmett, Rosalie and I tore Edward apart and when we reassembled him Carlisle threw him out of the family."

"But why would a member of your own family do something like that?" asked Chris.

"You both know that Edward hated Jasper and thought he was evil just because of his violent past," The twins nodded. "Well both of us believe it was the fact that I broke up with him and started going with Jasper that sent him over the edge. If I had broken up with him and started dating someone from say my high school we believe that Edward might have been unhappy with the decision but would have let me go."

"He saw me as the enemy that had moved in on his personal territory even though Bella had the right to make her own decisions and had decided that she was going to let Edward go. I certainly didn't force that decision on her."

Bella nodded in confirmation at Jasper's words. "He allowed me to choose and it wasn't a hard decision to make."

"So how did you torture Edward when you finally caught him?" asked Chris looking eager.

Jasper and Bella went on to describe exactly what they had done to Edward and both twins looked a little awed as well as a little disgusted even though neither could really blame either Jasper or Bella for what they had done to their former family member.

"Vampires are violent by nature and just because we control it doesn't mean that we don't let it out occasionally," said Jasper when he saw their expressions and felt their emotions. "We don't ever do that kind of thing unless someone whether human or vampire really deserve it."

"I won't say that Edward didn't deserve what you did to him, because he did," Sofia admitted softly. "He did hurt all of you when he killed off half your family, his family, so I can understand your actions and for no other reason than you wounded his pride."

"And we were all once human and violence is a part of human nature," said Chris, "and to tell you the truth I would love to torture that guy that did this to us for weeks at least so I suppose in that way we are very similar."

"Sofia," said Bella softly. When Sofia looked up at her friend Bella continued sympathetically, "I was once very like you and I could never have imagined doing those things to anyone but then my father as well as my best friend were murdered by a bunch of drugged up and drunk high school boys and that thing happened with Edward and that changed my whole perspective. I mean what average teenager thinks about doing those kind of things to someone? After I was a vampire I discovered that I felt differently about violence then I had when I was human. Jasper and I would never harm an innocent, but sometimes people don't pay for the crimes they have committed either because the police don't care or because the criminals are clever and just aren't caught. Unlike when I was human I just no longer ignore that kind of thing when I discover it and usually Jasper and I do something about it.

"Let me tell you a story. There was one time when I was still a newborn and I discovered these two sisters owned quite a few whorehouses all over Italy and that they either bought or kidnapped children. They had been in business for twenty-five years and they had never been caught so tell me what you would have done if you had discovered that these two woman and their accountant had bought or kidnapped more then twenty-five thousand children over the years just so a bunch of perverts could pay a large fee so they could rape them again and again. After these children reached eighteen they were either sold off or killed. Now tell me what you would have done if you had discovered that kind of thing happening and you knew you could actually do something about it? Think about it, Jasper and I couldn't exactly go to the police and we didn't want them to continue to get away with it so what would you have done?"

"I see your point," Sofia conceded after a moment seeming to understand. "I probably would have done the same same thing in a situation like that."

"And we really didn't torture them as much as we would have liked because at that time Edward had just been caught and he was our first priority," said Jasper. "If there is one thing that Emmett, Rosalie, Bella and I all agree on is that we don't hurt children or innocent people."

"I think we'll take up your philosophy," said Sofia after a moment.

"And hunt criminals," Chris said following his sister's train of thought easily. "After I finished feeding on those three criminals a few hours ago I didn't feet the least bit guilty and I still don't."

"Me either," admitted Sofia softly.

"So why don't we show you what we did with that man," said Jasper as he rose from the couch.

"Oh yes," both Chris and Sofia exclaimed together looking eager which pleased Jasper and Bella.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Jasper and Bella led the way to a small separate building on the property, that was more of a shack or toolshed then anything else. "This building was here when we bought the property and we didn't really see the point of tearing it down and now I'm glad we didn't," Bella explained. "It might not be secure enough to hold a vampire but it is certainly sturdy enough to hold a mere human."

Jasper calmly took a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door and watched as both Chris and Sofia entered the room their new vampire eyes immediately adjusting to the dim light.

"Well what do we have here," Chris murmured as he saw the same man that had not only tried to rob them but also was going to rape his sister and had nearly killed him. In fact he supposed that both he and Sofia had died three days ago as vampires were not technically alive. The man in question cowered in the one corner of the little shed that wasn't either filled with junk or various tools.

"Is there anywhere we can take him where his screams won't be heard?" asked Sofia any sympathy she had felt about torturing another human being vanishing as she remembered what Bella had told her just mere minutes ago about the women who had made so much money on the enslavement and torture of children. In a way this guy was just as bad even though neither she nor her brother could be considered children all they had been doing was walking home from the library after studying for hours and it had been this guy's decision to not only come and take their money but to rape her and stab Chris and all just because he could. Sofia wasn't so innocent that she didn't know there was evil in the world and that people like this guy existed but she had never even suspected that she and her brother would be two of the victims.

The man whimpered at Sofia's words and tried to shrink back even further not there was much room to go as he was already hurdled up against the back wall of the building.

"What are you?" the man asked his voice quivering in fear.

"Why sir," said Sofia mockingly, "we're vampires, of course. It was your own damn fault that we are now like this for you just happened to attack two people who just happened to be friends with two vampires. If you had gone into an honest line of work instead of crime you wouldn't be here now."

"And both of us would be perfectly happy to torture you for the next month if we had the time but since we are leaving the area in just a couple of days, I suppose that will just have to do," Chris said continuing his sister's thought.

"We can do a lot of damage in a couple of days," said Sofia looking thoughtful, whatever apprehension or sympathy she had been feeling earlier at the torture of another human being vanishing as she looked at the man who had changed their lives so much.

"Grab him and follow me," said Bella. "Try to be careful and don't use to much strength or you will crush his bones into powder."

"And that would be a bad thing, because?" asked Chris as he grabbed the man by the arm none to gently but not hard enough to actually crush his bones.

"Because you don't want to do that kind of thing at the beginning of the torture or he won't be able to appreciate all you are going to do to him because he'll be in so much pain," said Jasper calmly ignoring the man's whimpers entirely. "You don't want to do that kind of thing until you are almost done and are about ready to kill him or at least do it during the torture so he will be in as much pain as possible for as long as possible."

"In other words start with crushing small bones, like the toes or the fingers and then graduate to bigger bones such as the hands or feet and so on," Bella added.

"Okay, those are good suggestions," Chris conceded, as he picked the man and slung him over his shoulder with no trouble at all. The man struggled but it did no good and the four vampires calmly walked and talked together casually ignoring the man's whimpering, cries and muffled pleas for mercy completely.

"While you're doing that Jasper and I will go into town and get you a meal as you want to be well fed before we head to the airport with all those humans in two days," said Bella. "You'll have to feed every two or three days for at least the six months as being a newborn requires you to drink blood more often then if you were older vamp's like us."

Sofia and Chris absorbed that then nodded.

"Eventually we'll teach you to hunt on your own," said Jasper, "but not this soon as that would just be asking for trouble."

The four arrived at the secret room which was empty as Jasper had brought ten criminals from town, and the twins had drank three apiece which meant he had estimated right on how much the twins would need to drink for neither had complained about still being thirsty after they had each drank their share. The other four criminals had gone to him and Bella as they didn't need to drink as much being older then the twins and this way they wouldn't need to feed for at least a week or two.

"We have several torture devices or at least things that can be used as torture devices that you might like to try," Bella suggested.

"Such as?" asked Chris curiously.

"Well we have thumbscrews, those metal clamps and that has very sharp metal teeth that will make mince meat out of his flesh and if you screw it tight enough it can even shatter bone, then of course you can use your fingernails like knives as they are more than adequate to cut into mere human skin. If you want to get really technical all you need is your own body for vampires are much stronger than humans and that will still be true even once your newborn year is over. Also we have a fireplace poker that can be gotten hot relatively quickly and you can not only use that to leave burns on his skin but to cauterize his wounds, so he doesn't die on you before you want him to due to blood loss. Feel free to crush his bones or even tear his limbs off."

"You can also skin him if that's what you want," Jasper suggested with an evil glint in his red eyes as he gazed at the man that Chris had strapped down to the table that had been put there for just that purpose. "We also have whips of various types that will cause him a great deal of pain especially if you skin him beforehand."

"Oh and we also have a cattle prod that has enough oomph to it to cause him a great deal of pain especially if you use it at a pulse point and acid is always good."

Chris and Sofia nodded remembering what Jasper had told them that he and his wife had done to Edward. Of course Edward was a vampire and so his limbs could be reattached and it could all be done again and again and again as a vampire couldn't actually die unless you dismembered them first and than set them on fire. This man was human though so they would have to be a little more careful so they didn't kill him to soon and they would also have to probably hold their breaths as they didn't want to smell the blood and than drain him before he had gotten what he deserved.

"We'll leave you to it after we bring you those things we mentioned," said Bella. "We need to finish packing up what we want to take with us, just come back to the house when you are done and we'll make sure we get rid of the evidence before we leave."

Both Chris and Sofia nodded already focused on the man that Chris had laid on table.

"No, no please! Mercy!" the man whimpered pathetically.

"Don't ask for mercy from us," Chris hissed as he stalked towards the man whom he had strapped down gracefully. "You ruined our lives! Not only will our foster parents now think we are dead you were going to rape my sister just because you are a sick and evil bastard! If it hadn't been for Jasper and Bella I would be dead and Sofia would probably be to. You deserve everything we are about to do to you and more!"

"Let's get started shall we?" Sofia suggested calmly although anger showed out of her red eyes as came over to join her brother. "What should we do first?"

"Well let's see how about we try skinning like Jasper suggested?"

"Great idea!" Sofia agreed as he causally used her fingernail to start removing the skin from the man's chest after Sofia had ripped his clothes off using just fingernails until the man was totally naked. The man whimpered as Sofia and Chris both cut into his skin using just their fingernails. Both twins found that it was incredibly easy to cut into human skin with just the slightest amount of pressure from one of their fingernails and it wasn't long before several large strips of skin was missing from the man's chest.

The man screamed and cried and begged for mercy but both of the twins ignored his cries completely as they continued to skin him for a while until his chest and arms were almost skinless and the nerves and bones were exposed.

Bella had appeared beside them briefly and left the things she had said she would and while Sofia used the flame from the torch to get the poker hot Chris started to casually use his newborn strength to crush the bones in their victims big toe into powder.

The man screamed even louder and tears of pain began to leak from his eyes as Chris crushed another toe this time the smallest one on the same foot.

"Poker's ready," said Sofia as she blew out the lit torch and put it aside not wanting to have it burn itself out when they might need it again.

"Please! Mercy!" the man begged in between whimpers and screams as he was in intense pain.

"Oh we are only getting started," Sofia assured him. "By the time we are done you are going to wish you were dead and when we finally send you to hell where you belong you will be so grateful to finally be put out of your misery that you will thank us. Why would somebody who is looking to make some cash want to rob a couple of college students who don't usually have much money in the first place, instead of getting an honest job? In the second place because of you the Simmons who took us in and treated us like their own children after our parents passed away are going to be devastated when they hear we have died, if they haven't heard already. For that alone I would happily torture you for as long as your body could take it and would watch gleefully when your heart finally stopped and you died." As Sofia spoke she applied the poker to various parts of the mugger's body watching with an almost evil glint in her red eyes as the man continued to scream and beg for mercy.

"Ah music to my ears," Chris murmured as he continued to use his fingernail like a knife to remove the skin from various parts of the man's body. "How about those whips Bella left us?" Chris suggested

"Okay," said Sofia agreeably as she picked up both whips and handed one to her brother.

"Man these sure are nasty looking whips," Chris observed as he noticed that Sofia's had a whip that looked like it had nine tails and each tail had what looked like metal claws that were bound to cause serve damage to mere human flesh. As for him he had one that also had several pieces of rawhide hanging like tails except there was only four and there were hooks incorporated on the end of each thong instead of what looked like a cats claws.

"Let's get started shall we?" Sofia suggested. "We can ask Jasper and Bella where they got the whips later."

"You're right," Chris agreed as he quit admiring his whip and started using it around their prisoner's shoulders and on his arms and chest while Sofia used hers on the man's legs.

After more than an hour of that causing severe wounds every time they brought the whips down Sofia holding her breath because of the blood relit the torch with a lighter that Bella had left and then used it to get the poker white hot again so that she could cauterize the wounds and get rid of the fresh blood for if she knew Bella had to hold her breath while Chris had been bleeding quite badly and she was a hundred years old she knew that her and Chris didn't stand a chance of smelling fresh blood and not instantly drain the man dry which they didn't want to do as they still had a few things they wanted to do to him.

Once the poker was white hot which didn't take to long Sofia came back to the table and pressed the poker into the bleeding wound in his side where she and Chris had done some severe damage not only by using their whips but by taking the acid that had also been provided and pouring it in the same spot that Chris had been wounded. The acid was very powerful and it ate through their prisoner's flesh like a hot knife through butter. The man screamed so loudly and at such a high-pitch that he had lost his voice almost entirely and could only make quiet whimpering sounds and not speak at all.

"Well how about we remove our prisoner's tongue?" Chris suggested once the blood had stopped flowing and dried blood just wasn't half as tempting as fresh.

"Isn't there some kind of biblical punishment that requires you to remove the tongue?" asked Sofia looking thoughtful.

"I believe back in the time of Jesus the tongue was removed for lying," said Chris trying to remember how he knew that. "And cutting off one of the hands for stealing?"

"Goes back to medieval times I believe," said Sofia.

"Well why don't we do that after crushing his finger bones and then his hands into powder, then we can do his feet and his ears and nose. Once we do that perhaps we can start crushing the bones in his arms and legs."

"Great ideas and the only thing I have to add is we should pour acid over all the wounds as that will cauterize them without us having to bother with heating up the poker again unless we just want to use it to cause him pain."

Chris held open the man's mouth without another word and Sofia calmly used her fingernail to cut through the man's tongue causing him considerable pain in the process After they had done that they burned the man's tongue right in front of his eyes using the lighter and then started to almost causally crush the man's finger bones into powder knowing the man would be screaming if he'd had any voice left not to mention since they had removed his tongue he wouldn't have been able to speak anyway or at least not very clearly.

Once all the fingers on both hands were crushed Chris and Sofia then crushed the bones in the back of the hands watching dispassionately as the man squirmed not that he could even do much of that since his hands and feet were in metal cuffs that were bolted to the table.

"How about using that metal clamp that Bella left us?" Sofia suggested after removing the tongue. "It looks as if it can cause quite a bit of damage," she added looking at what kind of looked like one of those c-clamps except it was bigger and had vicious metal teeth.

"Great idea," Chris agreed enthusiastically as he picked up the metal clamp and attached to the the man's one remaining foot before turning the screw that tightened it and watched with no expression on his fact as the man wriggled and would have been screaming even louder if he had still had any voice left that is. The metal clamp bit into the man's foot and left long bloody gashes on both the sole and the top. Chris screwed the clamp just a little tighter and watched as the metal teeth shrank past flesh to grind against the bones of the foot.

"Let's remove his fingers next," Chris suggested after he was done playing with the man's foot.

"Okay," Sofia agreed as she started to remove the man's fingers one at a time just by twisting it in a way it was never intended to go until the finger bone at the joint snapped and all Sofia had to do was give it a tug until the skin separated and she could remove the finger entirely. The man was breathing heavily and making quiet whimpering noises but couldn't do more than that because he no longer had any voice box or tongue in which to form the words.

Chris did the same to the other hand and after they had done that they both crushed the bones in the back of the man's hands to powder almost at the exact same instant causing

him even more excruciating pain.

And this was how they continued torturing the man that had caused them so much heart ache for the next two days.

Flashback

"So where would you like to visit once we get the Edward situation taken care of and in between jobs for the Volturi?" asked Jasper as he leaned against the headboard of the bed with Bella between his legs her head on his chest. It was several days after her conversation with Charlotte.

"Well," said Bella sounding thoughtful tracing patterns absentmindedly on Jasper's side as she thought about it. "I've always wanted to visit Greece."

"Why Greece?" asked Jasper sending her his curiosity.

"Well when I was young, maybe eleven or twelve I remember going through a stage where I read every book both factual and mythology I could get my hands on. At that time in my life I believe I found the subject fascinating and wished that one day I would have the money to go and not just see the sites that every tourist goes to but to truly explore and see things that most people would never think or dream of doing. I thought if I hadn't been so clumsy I might have wanted to climb Mount Olympus where it was said that the gods once resided. I know that thousands of people climb it every year but since I am no longer clumsy I would love to go someday."

"Then we shall," Jasper promised. "And we will climb Mount Olympus and do anything else your heart desires."

"Thanks Jasper that really means a lot," said Bella sending him her gratitude and love.

"I've also always wanted to go scuba diving and see the sights on the ocean floor. We wouldn't even need the diving equipment, the air tanks, the flippers, the wet suit or face masks since we don't need to breathe."

"That really sounds like fun. Anywhere else you'd like to go?" asked Jasper.

"Well I would love to go to Egypt and maybe explore places like Hamunaptra or the pyramid at Giza or run along the Great Wall of China, you know places that tourists would never be allowed to explore for fear that they would either steal or damage something."

"We would have to go at night," Jasper mused, "Those places are sunny and we would sparkle in the sun if we were to go out in the daytime and as far as I know they don't get many cloudy or rainy days, Egypt especially."

"Well it's not like we need to sleep and we see well in the dark," Bella pointed out. "We could spend the next hundred years just exploring all the Greek Islands as there are a lot of them, over two hundred I believe."

"That's true enough, but there's so much you can't do at night," said Jasper. "The Bazars are closed," he added with a smirk.

"You know how I feel about shopping," Bella protested only half truthfully as she didn't mind it so much now that she didn't have a certain pixie making her try on and buy things she didn't want, not to mention having to go into every store instead of just a few.

"I know you don't hate shopping half as much as you pretend," Jasper teased, "at least not anymore."

"Yeah, that's true enough. I enjoy shopping with Rose much more then I ever did with Alice. She doesn't force me to go into every store in the mall and doesn't make me buy stuff I don't want. She respects my wishes and as much as I loved Alice she never listened when I protested that I didn't want something and had to go into every single clothing store instead of just a few. Most of the time Alice even forgot the fact that at the time I needed to eat and I had to remind her more then once that my body needed substance if she wanted me to continue to have any energy and not collapse from sheer exhaustion. Telling Alice no was like telling a dog not to chew on your favorite shoes."

Jasper laughed so hard at Bella's comparison that if he had been human he would have been clutching his sides and out of breath.

"You thought that was funny, huh?" asked Bella pretending to be angry poking Jasper in the side but finally gave in and laughed right along with him.

"That was fucking hilarious," said Jasper when he had finally quit laughing. "It's true, although I've never heard anyone describe Alice quite like that."

"Yes, well, the reason for that is I never would have dared say that kind of thing to her face or where she could have seen it in a vision. I thought it on several occasions but I was never brave enough to say it while she was alive."

"So what else would you like to do?" asked Jasper.

"Well I would love to go to Jerusalem and just walk around the city, maybe swim in the dead sea where it is said that God parted the waters in order to allow the Hebrews to escape from the forces that were pursuing them," said Bella musingly seeming lost in thought. "Maybe eventually we could go to Asia, you know Japan, Thailand, Denmark..."

"I look forward to seeing all those places with you darlin'," said Jasper kissing the top of his mate's head again beyond grateful that she as his for the rest of his time on this earth. "I've never been to any of them simply because going on those kind of adventures is no fun to do alone and since none of them were known for there shopping I could never get Alice to agree to come. You know how she was about messing up her clothes and if we had gone she would have gotten them dirty and maybe torn."

Bella snorted, "Please it isn't like she wore anything more then once, maybe twice before she donated it anyway and bought more. How Alice tried on clothes season after season, year after year I have never been able to figure out. If it had been me, I would have gone absolutely insane. It's not like I mind a little bit of shopping, you know, a couple of hours here and there but to shop all day..." Bella shuddered reflectively as she remembered. "I'm surprised I didn't kill myself just to get out of it."

Jasper laughed and gave her a hug and a kiss, "Well you survived and for that I am glad."

"So am I," Bella assured him twisting her upper body enough so that she was facing him and giving him a gentle kiss on the lips. Bella was much more relaxed ever since she had talked to Charlotte and Char had convinced her to quit holding everything in and talk to Jasper. Jasper had known that something was wrong but hadn't brought it up although he had been planning to eventually if Charlotte hadn't beat him to it and convinced Bella to share what was bothering her with him.

After that conversation Jasper had tried his best not to chastise her since he knew that would only drive her to not tell him when something was bothering her so instead he had tried his best to explain to her that she could always tell him when she was worried or concerned about something and he would do the same. That was what a relationship was all about sharing concerns and worries as well as always loving each other.

Bella was so used to taking care of herself that she was unused to sharing her concerns with anybody else and actually have them listen. Edward had never listened to her so why would she want to share her concerns with him? He had always thought he knew what was best for her whether it was true or not, so having someone she could share her concerns with and who would listen without judgement was still relatively new to her.

"I would like to go to England and Ireland one day," Bella mused aloud.

"Why those specific places?" asked Jasper curiously.

"Because my father's family came from England and Scotland sometime in the 15th century," Bella answered. "I want to see if I can trace my roots. My father was English/Scottish on his father's side and Irish/Swedish on his mother's."

"We can do that," Jasper agreed, "although you realize that Swan is a very common surname and it might not be possible to figure out from what part of the country your family originally came from."

"The guy we hired to trace the family tree back should help with that," Bella suggested. "If we have specific names and dates it might make it a little easier."

"That's true enough," Jasper agreed. "But now enough talking."

"Oh and what are we going to do if we don't talk?" asked Bella innocently with a raised eyebrow her lust starting to get out of control as she gazed at her mate like he was a prime piece of meat that she would just love to consume.

Not that he was complaining! He wasn't that stupid or crazy to complain when his mate looked at him like she wanted to gobble him all up and her lust skyrocketed. Jasper didn't answer just flipped Bella over until she was laying on the bed and he was on top of her kissing her all over. If she had still been human she would have been suffocated under the frenzy of his passion.

When Jasper finally let up Bella pulled his head back towards her and continued kissing him, everywhere. They both purred and Jasper entered his mate as she was already wet and ready for him and Bella instinctively rolled her hips and arched her back so that he could go deeper until he hit her clit. Bella groaned and orgasmed right there and when she came back down minutes later she started to lick down Jasper's neck, not caring about his scars, until she got to his nipples which she gladly sucked on. Jasper moaned and began to move in and out of his mate, slowly at first then faster and faster until they both came again just a couple of minutes later.

They made love again and again throughout the night until they were interrupted by the sun coming over the hills.

"You know something I've always wanted to try, I wouldn't have dared while I was still human," said Bella as she and Charlotte as they sat out under the same tree that they had had there first discussion at. Bella and Char had become close over the last several weeks and spent quite a lot of time together along with Rose but at the moment it was just the two of them as Rose and Emmett were out somewhere for some time alone and Jasper and Peter had disappeared somewhere together although Jasper had assured her he wouldn't be to far if she needed him.

"What, sugar?" asked Charlotte as she watched Bella play with a piece of grass in amazement. Bella was not even paying attention to what she was doing and yet she didn't snap it in half.

"Well I've always wanted to learn to ride a motorcycle, but not only would that have been dangerous as clumsy as I was, my father would have grounded me for the rest of my life. Charlie hated motorcycles and I suppose I can understand that kind of attitude since I'm sure he saw a lot of accidents being the chief of police in Forks. If I had tried it and he had caught me I guarantee you I would have been grounded until I was at least thirty."

"And when you were living in Phoenix?" asked Char not mentioning Renee which Bella was grateful for.

Bella sighed, "When I was living in Phoenix this boy, sorry I don't remember his name, who lived in our neighborhood had a Moped. He was nice enough to let me ride it and I actually managed it which wasn't that hard since it had three wheels instead of two. I was just fifteen at the time and ever since then I've wanted to ride a real motorcycle as I had more fun on the Moped then I can ever remember having with anything else. When Renee caught me on the Moped I remember it is one of the few times I was yelled at by her and then she called Charlie and I was yelled at by him to saying I could have been hurt or killed. How I could have been hurt or killed I don't know as the Moped didn't go very fast. I suppose it's possible I could have ended up with scrapes and bruises or a broken bone although that last was very unlikely."

"So why don't you buy one?" asked Charlotte. "One of the best producers of motorcycles in the world was founded right here in Italy."

"Who?" asked Bella tilting her head to the side in a gesture of curiosity.

"Ducati are the best. They make all kinds, street bikes, off the rode, bikes, bikes meant for racing."

"That means expensive," said Bella.

"So what?" asked Charlotte "Jasper has plenty of money and he won't mind spending some of it. You are his mate and he loves you and he would want you to have one if you want it."

"Come to think of it I don't need Jasper's money," said Bella as she remembered the bank account that Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett had set up for her.

"What do you mean, sugar?" asked Charlotte.

So Bella went on to explain all about how Jasper, Rose and Emmett had split the Cullen money four ways and that she had several accounts. "They didn't tell me at first, not that I can really blame them as I used to have a thing about taking money I didn't earn, still do come to that, but then it all came out and I'm afraid I didn't react very well to finding out I suddenly had more money then I knew what to do with."

Bella rolled her eyes as she remembered. "I've come to accept though that this is what Carlisle and Esme wanted as they considered me their daughter and would want me to have an equal share of their assets and I haven't really used any of the money yet as I haven't had anything I've wanted to buy."

"Well then why don't you do it?" asked Charlotte.

"I need to talk to Jasper first as I don't know the first thing about motorcycles and I might need help learning how to ride one."

"Well if you've ever ridden a bicycle then it is very similar except you have an engine and no kick stand, not with the Ducati anyway. Since you are now a vampire it shouldn't be very hard to find your balance since it should be instinctive."

"Probably," Bella admitted, "Well see. If I do get one I think I want one in kind of a navy blue with silver trim."

"Navy blue?" asked Charlotte.

"Navy blue was my favorite color when I was human and I've always liked silver," said Bella with a shrug.

"You remember what your favorite color was when you were human?" asked Charlotte in amazement.

"Well no," said Bella with an embarrassed shrug, "It was one of the things I told Jasper before I was changed and we were discussing some of the things that he had asked me when I was still human. When he told me that navy blue was my favorite color it kind of came back to me why that was."

Charlotte nodded as that made sense. Her brother had really gone out of his way to learn as many of the likes and dislikes of his mate as he could before she was turned so that he could tell her and she could get a few of her memories back because sometimes when a specific thing was mentioned that had been forgotten...that was something they had liked as a human it would bring back a memory or memories of why they liked it.

"How are you doing that?" Charlotte finally demanded as she continued to watch as Bella unconsciously played with a piece of grass.

"Doing what?" asked Bella finally looking up and as she did so the piece of grass snapped in half.

Bella looked at the two pieces of grass in her hand finally letting them fall to the ground.

"How can you play with a single piece of grass and not snap it in half immediately?" Charlotte wondered out loud shaking her head in amazement. "Now that you are a vampire a single blade of grass should be impossible to play with like that and not be shredded instantly."

Bella looked at the now shredded piece of grass on the ground at her feet and shrugged. "I have no idea."

"I think you were doing it unconsciously," said Char looking thoughtful. "While we were talking you weren't paying attention to what you were doing but the minute I mentioned it and you realized you were playing with a tiny, single piece of grass, it snapped."

"Probably," said Bella with a careless shrug not realizing even with Char's words how it was almost impossible to play with a single blade of grass for a vampire and not demolish it. Most vampires didn't have enough control of their strength to do something like that.

Charlotte let the subject drop as she saw that Bella didn't realize what a feat it was for someone who could kill with a single punch to play with a blade of grass and not crush it into pulp.

"So how are you doing with Jasper away?" Char asked finally changing the subject.

"I miss him," said Bella with a sigh looking sad. "I mean logically I know we can't be together all the time as I'm sure we would drive each other insane but when he's gone I feel...incomplete...like a piece of me is missing, you know what I mean."

"Yes, I know exactly what you mean," said Char nodding. "I feel the same way about Peter and don't like to be away from him for more then a day's worth of errands. When I am away I can't wait to get back and be in his arms."

"Exactly," said Bella. "It's so good to talk to someone who understands..." Before she could continue they both saw someone coming from the trees that were part of the property. "Edward? What the fuck? Is he insane coming here? Doesn't he know we all want his head?" asked Bella angrily tossing her brown hair.

Both women got to their feet immediately and Bella shielded Charlotte so that Edward couldn't read her thoughts. Edward sped towards them no more then a blur to the human eye and when he was within thirty feet Bella had another shield up around him so fast that he couldn't get any closer and as he was still moving when Bella's shield came up he banged against the barrier so hard that they actually heard a metallic tearing sound as Bella's shield sliced off his arm.

Edward screeched in pain as his arm separated from his body with a metallic screech.

"What the hell is going on? Are you the one that did this?" demanded Edward angrily as he looked accusingly at Charlotte while trying to reattach his arm. "Let me go."

Charlotte didn't reply and only laughed and laughed Bella joining in just seconds later as they now got a good look at what had once been Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. Edward looked mostly the same except for the fact that his clothing was all filthy and torn as though he had been wearing it for months and he probably had. Also although his eyes were still the same gold color his bronze hair was even more messed up then usual having bits of leaves and grass in it and it looked like it hadn't been washed much less brushed in a long time. It wasn't just his hair that was dirty either but his whole body which was covered in dirt and she even saw where he was missing his right hand. How he had come to be missing a hand Bella didn't know as she knew it was very hard to injure a vampire.

"It isn't me that has you trapped," Charlotte finally replied when she had finally managed to quit laughing.

"Then who?" asked Edward angrily as he couldn't read Charlotte's thoughts thanks to being inside Bella's shield.

"Who do you think, fuckwad?" asked Bella with a smirk facing him with her arms crossed her red eyes blazing with anger.

"Bella, love," Edward began.

"Don't you dare call me your love, you shithead," Bella told him angrily staring at him her ruby eyes glaring so furiously that Edward actually moved back a couple of inches before he bumped up against the back of Bella's shield. "You're lucky all I've done to you is trap you within my shield for if I had my way I would do much worse and I will...eventually, but I promised the Volturi that if we caught you before they could that we would bring you to them for judgement for your crimes." Edward flinched at the mention of the Volturi.

"And don't you dare try and tell me that you aren't guilty of the fire that killed Carlisle, Esme and Alice as only someone with inside knowledge could possibly have gotten around Alice's visions much less known the house well enough to trap three vampires so that they couldn't escape before they were burned to cinders," Bella added as Edward opened his mouth to argue. "Who else but you knew that Carlisle's study didn't have any windows? Or that Alice's bathroom also didn't? Who else could have shoved heavy pieces of furniture in front of the doors in order to keep them from escaping? Not only did you kill three people that loved you, you nearly killed me as well."

"What are you talking about?" asked Edward as he banged his fists against Bella's shield.

"Oh didn't you know I was living with them?" asked Bella sweetly. "That I moved in with them after Charlie was shot and died in surgery? If I hadn't jumped out a fourth floor window and if Jasper, Rose and Emmett hadn't shown up minutes later I would be dead."

"Bella, love I didn't mean..." Edward began.

"What have I told you about calling me love?" Bella demanded angrily interrupting him. "I am not your love as even when we were dating you treated me like an object to be coveted and protected but not to be paid attention to otherwise. Besides if you expect me to believe that you didn't know I was living with the Cullens then you really are stupid. My scent should have been strong all over the house since I had been living with them for awhile."

"Bella, I came to take you away so we could be together and the first thing we need to do is get you on a proper diet," said Edward ignoring Bella's words entirely.

Bella rolled her eyes in exasperation and said like she was talking to a three year old, "Have you been listening to me at all? No of course not, as when did you ever really listen to what I had to say? Listen carefully because I am only going to say this once. I...am...not...yours...Jasper...and...I...are...mates..."

"No Bella, we are mates," Edward interrupted talking to her like she was a small child that had a brain the size of a pea. "Jasper is just controlling your emotions."

"You really are an idiot, do you know that," said Charlotte. "If you had been mates you would have wanted to change her and instead you refused," she added when Edward looked shocked, "and yes, I know all about that as Jasper and Bella have told me. You are infatuated with her, but you do not love her. When you love someone you do not go out of your way to hurt them like you have. If Peter hadn't had one of his hunches and contacted Jasper while he was out hunting the day of the fire Bella would be dead. Do you know that not only was her spine severed from the fall but she broke most of the bones in her body. Even if she had survived she never would have walked again."

Edward opened his mouth to reply but both women glared at him so fiercely that his mouth shut with a snap.

"Charlotte, do me a favor," Bella whispered in her friend's ear so softly that there was no way that Edward could hear what was being said while maintaining her shield, "go call Jasper and Demetri and tell then that we have Edward trapped. The numbers are programed in," she added handing Char her cell phone. "Just tell Demetri your name and that you are calling for me and he will be here with reinforcements as soon as possible."

"Will you be okay?" asked Charlotte in concern.

"Oh yes, Edward and me have some things to settle although I did promise Aro I wouldn't do to much damage at least until he has had a chance to read fuckwad's memories," Bella said with a smirk.

Charlotte nodded still looking concerned but walked away far enough so that Edward wouldn't hear what was being said on the phone.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Now that's Charlotte's gone fuckwad you and me have a score to settle," Bella said with an absolutely evil smirk as she sauntered up to him her crimson eyes blazing with anger, menace, scorn and resolve. "You know, I suppose I should thank you for if you hadn't saved me from that van, I might not have figured out what you were and then I might not have met Jasper. If the end result was the same I would gladly go through it all again except I would stand up for myself instead of letting you make my decisions for me and move me around like some kind of pawn."

"Bella, love," Edward began and Bella could tell that he hoped now with Charlotte gone that she would leave with him.

"Don't even think about trying to kidnap me," Bella told him. "I warn you now that I have been trained to take care of myself by Jasper, Rose and Emmett. I've even learned a few tricks from Peter and Charlotte and the great thing is that you can't read my mind to determine my next move."

Edward didn't look as if he was very afraid so Bella gladly demonstrated. She dropped her shield and when Edward realized it was gone he sped towards her and Bella stood calmly until he was close enough and then here was a metallic screech as Bella grabbed Edward's one good arm and used his momentum against him. Her shield was back up around him before he could move and Bella causally sauntered until she was standing in front of him again although several feet away holding his arm as if it was no more then an object.

"That ought to tell you how dangerous I have become and I can maintain my shield for days if I had to, especially since I just fed yesterday," said Bella with a smirk as she saw Edward's expression which was somewhere between horrified realization and desperation.

"You're a monster, Jasper has turned you into a soulless..." Edward began ramming his body against the blue shimmer of Bella's shield.

"You stop right there, Edward Anthony Masen," Bella demanded so savagely that Edward actually stopped in midsentence. "If anyone is the monster it is you. You murdered three of your own family members who loved you simply because you were angry that I had broken up with you and because Carlisle threw you out of the family and if that isn't something a monster would do then I don't know what is. You were always telling me that you were a soulless monster and that I didn't deserve this life, but I think I have more of a soul then you ever had or will. I've come to realize that you don't really know how to love someone. You saw me as a possession and not as someone that had thoughts, feelings and opinions. You judged Jasper because of his past and because of his scars and yet he was made for war and didn't have any choice so now I will give you your own scars just for the way you always treated my mate with hate and disdain for no other reason then you are a judgmental, nosy child who doesn't know the first thing about people or about love." As Bella spoke she calmly took Edward's arm and used the venom to write the word asshole across his chest her shield keeping him pinned down the whole time.

Edward screeched in pain as Bella carved the words into his chest using the venom from his own dismembered arm which was certainly an irony.

Bella had discovered through trial and error that while her shield was impenetrable to others, well all except for Jasper, as she and Jasper could reach through it even while it was solid and keeping somebody trapped. It was though it was like a wall of paper to her and to Jasper but to everybody else it was as solid as a brick wall would be to a human.

Jasper was the only other one who could put his hands through it and Bella figured it had to be because they were mates and therefore two halves of the same soul.

"There," said Bella smirking in satisfaction as she looked at the works she had inscribed into her former boyfriend's flesh. "Since you seem to hate scars so much. This is the least I plan to do to you but I did promise Aro I wouldn't do you to much damage if I was the one who caught you.

"You know you would have been smarter to run far away and keep a low profile, but instead you waltz in here and expect to just get me to go with you like I was your peon or slave and I ask you how can Jasper be controlling my emotions when he isn't even here at the moment? Don't you even dare suggest that he will eventually leave me. We are mates and we can't get more then a couple hundred miles apart due to the mating bond or we feel unbearable pain," said Bella as Edward started to open his mouth to suggest just that. "That's what being mates is all about, it's about loving each other, treating each other as equals, sharing worries or concerns. I could never do that with you because you didn't listen, or you pretended to and then ignored whatever I told you thinking that you always knew better no matter my opinion. I might have been human but I wasn't stupid and I resented being treated like I was or being ordered around like I was some kind of robot with no will or intelligence of my own. There were quite a few times in the short time we were dating that I wished I could tear a body part off and set it on fire as you tried your best to run my life."

Bella finally fell silent and instantly made her shield soundproof as well so she didn't have to listen to his voice anymore and watched calmly as Edward tried to say something and then realized that no sound was escaping his cage.

Bella smirked in satisfaction, "Well what do you know it worked," She had never tried to make her shield soundproof before and had thought to try it just now. Being able to soundproof her shield sure was another useful aspect of her talent and she was sure it would come in handy in the future. With that thought she went back to sit under the tree and wait for Charlotte to come back.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

When Charlotte came back a few minutes later and handed the phone back to Bella there was a text message on the screen.

Demetri and Jane will be here asap. Jasper and Peter are already on their way. Peter had a hunch.

No more needed to be said and Bella nodded her thanks.

Charlotte finally looked at Edward and immediately saw where Bella had torn his shirt and written the word asshole into his chest and also that he was missing his other arm. She burst out laughing. "Way to go, sugar," Char congratulated her.

"Thanks," said Bella with a smirk of satisfaction. "By the way there's no reason we can't talk normally anymore."

"Why?" asked Char curiously.

"Well it just occurred to me that I might be able to make my shield soundproof so that he can't hear anything we say and it seems to have worked as he's been ramming his body against it for the last five minutes and I haven't heard a thing."

Charlotte looked surprised, then smirked, "Well that part of your talent will certainly come in useful."

"That's just what I was thinking," said Bella as she smirked in Edward's direction and noticed he looked pissed and continued ramming his body against her shield.

"Is it much of a strain on you to hold your shield up for so long?" asked Char in concern as she noticed that Bella's eyes were not as bright as they had been.

"Not to much no, although I can feel that my shield wants to snap back to me and I have to concentrate, but that's normal for me. Jasper thinks that eventually if I practice enough that it won't take as much concentration to hold my shield in place on other people besides him and me."

Charlotte nodded. "That makes sense. Any vampire who has a talent, especially one like yours has to practice with it to strengthen it. The more you practice the easier it will be to maintain a lot of shields at one time."

"And I am still a newborn as Jasper keeps pointing out to me and he thinks that makes a difference.

"He has a point," said Charlotte. "It's true you are much different then most newborns but for talents to develop it takes patience and practice."

"I think I will need to feed after this though just so I am at full strength for when we get to torture Eddie," said Bella.

"But at least it is finally over," Char pointed out.

"That's true enough," Bella said.

Charlotte didn't have a chance to reply as Peter's car sped through the gate that led to the villa and turned in a circle causing a cloud of dust to form which did not settle until the car had stopped completely.

Jasper was immediately out of the car and out Bella's side in less then a second. "You okay?" asked Jasper as he hugged his mate to him checking her for injuries.

"I'm fine," Bella assured him giving him a passionate kiss. "He never laid a hand on me. In fact look at what I did to him," she added proudly pointing.

When Jasper saw that not only was his former brother missing both arms but that the word asshole was scrawled across his chest he began to laugh and Peter joined him from where he was standing his arm around Charlotte

"I like your style, Bells," said Peter with a smile still laughing.

"Why thank you Peter," said Bella with a pleased smirk.

"We should contact Demetri and have him come with some of the guard to escort fuckwad to the Volturi."

"Already taken care of," said Bella with a smirk. "Charlotte already called Demetri and told him that I had caught Edward. He should be here any minute." Just as the words left her mouth several of the Volturi guards came charging in the open gate.

"Well the calvary is here," said Bella unnecessarily.

"You okay?" asked Jane as she separated from the other guards. Jane had become a good friend over the last few months, and they had been shopping several times with Rose and Heidi.

"I'm fine, he never laid a hand on me," Bella assured her friend. "Even if I didn't have my shield he never would have gotten away as I have been taught how to fight and unlike anyone else he can't read my thoughts to determine my next move."

"Could you put your shield down Bella, so we can got to him?" asked Demetri.

"Sure, just be ready to grab him as he is very fast," said Bella as she mentally released her shield. Felix immediately grabbed him around the waist as he didn't have any arms at the moment and slung him over his shoulder carrying a struggling, screaming Edward, with ease.

"So what happened?" asked Jasper now that Edward was taken care of for the moment.

"Well, Bella and me were just sitting here talking, we weren't really doing anything else when suddenly Bella was telling me something when we both just happened to catch sight of Edward as he came out of the trees," said Charlotte and Bella nodded as if to say that is exactly what happened.

"It's not like he was trying to hide or anything," added Bella. "Knowing Edward as I do he is arrogant enough to assume that neither one of us would be able to defend ourselves against him. I know he probably thought that even if Char here knew how to fight that he would be able to put her out of commission simply because he could read her thoughts."

"Boy did he get a nasty shock," Char snickered.

"What exactly did you do?" asked Demetri coming into the conversation once he made sure that Edward could not get away.

"It wasn't me, it was Bella," Char snickered as she explained how Bella had put her shield up around her so that Edward wouldn't be able to read her thoughts and then when Edward got within thirty feet how she had brought her shield up right in front of him. "He was going so fast at that point that he didn't see Bella's shield until it was to late and he hit it so hard and suddenly at an angle that it sliced one of his arm's off."

Everyone who was listening chuckled appreciatively.

"Edward of course assumed it was Charlotte here who was the one who had produced the shield but she set him straight," said Bella with a pleased smirk.

Both Bella and Charlotte then took turns explaining the rest of the story.

"Well at least he is finally caught," said Jane. She of course had known the whole story as Bella and Rose had explained it to her and Heidi one day when they were out shopping.

"Yes, that's the main thing," Demetri agreed. "We had better get back though."

"We'll follow you," said Jasper.

End Flashback

By the time the twins emerged from the secret room it was almost exactly two days later and behind them they had left quite a mess as there was dried blood everywhere and the man was in a lot of teeny tiny, itsy bitsy pieces.

"All done?" asked Jasper calmly as he met them at the door.

"Oh yeah," said Chris with a smirk.

"I'm afraid there isn't much left except a lot of very tiny pieces," said Sofia also with a smirk. "I wouldn't want to do this kind of thing to often but you and Bella were right when you said that a lot of people never pay for their crimes that man that attacked us among them. I know I shouldn't have enjoyed torturing that man but I did. I mean he is another human being and therefore had a chance at redemption..."

"Which most of them never take," said Bella coming downstairs. "Even if that man who attacked you had eventually been caught and gone to prison more than likely the minute he had gotten out he would have gone right back to his life of crime. Most criminals never repent for the life they lead, not truly, deeply repent to the extent that they are willing to give up their life of crime and get honest work."

Jasper nodded, "Also police and other law agencies can't catch everybody and tend to be overworked, not have enough employees to really handle the amount of crime that is still present today and are underpaid for the job they do. With all those strikes against them I'm not really surprised there is still so much crime today but in a way it is a good thing for that means our kind always has plenty of food as I don't except that there will come a time that humans won't break the law."

"So when are we heading out?" asked Sofia changing the subject.

"Just as soon as you two have fed," said Jasper. "The house is all packed up and we have packed everything we want to take and hired a moving van."

"We brought you three people apiece and they are waiting for you in that shed. I'm sure you know the way," Bella added. "Also once you get back I laid out a fresh change of clothes for both of you so you can get a shower and change as soon as you are done eating and then we can leave."

"Thanks," said Sofia gratefully looking down at her now ruined shirt which had blood all over it.

"You're welcome and I'll be glad to help you change clothes while Jasper helps Chris."

"Why?" asked Chris curiously before Sofia could.

"Because you are much stronger now and if you aren't careful you will rip your clothes to shreds simply by picking them up and even if you manage that you would probably rip them just trying to put them on," Bella explained.

"But we handled all those torture devices and didn't pulverize them," Chris pointed out.

"Well those kinds of things are a little sturdier then your clothes will be since your clothes are mere cloth and the torture deceives are made out of sturdier substances. I'm not saying that you couldn't have pulverized them without really thinking about it, but it was less likely then you shredding your clothes simply because most of your attention was focused in causing that man as much pain as you possibly could," said Bella gently. "Think of yourselves kind of like Superman as you know from the comics, movies, TV shows how strong he is. The way the original writers wrote him was that he was strong enough to pulverize criminals bones just like he can rocks if he wasn't careful and didn't know how to control his strength."

"Superman doesn't need to drink blood in order to survive," Chris pointed out.

"True enough, but there are still certain similarities. Superman may not have to drink blood to survive but he is much faster, and stronger, can see, and hear way better then a human and is invulnerable to being hurt by human weapons. He can crush just about any substance to powder just by using his hands, run faster then the speed of light, can hear things that are far outside of a humans range and has perfect eyesight in the daytime and at night. In all the ways I just mentioned vampires have the same abilities as our kind can see and hear at a greater distance then humans, are invulnerable to being hurt by bullets, lasers or any other kind of human invented weapon and we can run just as fast as Superman without getting tired or out of breath or a stitch in our sides as we don't really need to breathe. About the only thing we can't do that Superman can is fly."

"We also don't have x-ray vision or super hearing," Chris joked his way of conceding that he saw Bella's point.

"True enough but in every other way we are just like the man that was sent from Krypton as a baby," said Bella.

"We'll help you get a handle on your strength just as soon as we get settled at a new location," Jasper promised speaking for the first time. "I've had to help a lot of newborns in my time and they weren't as rational as you, Bella being the only other exception. I don't believe you'll have to much trouble with controlling your strength with a little practice."

"All right then," Sofia said giving in without further argument as she knew they were telling the truth, the Superman analogy aside, as she remembered how she had crushed the bones in the man's hand they had been torturing without any trouble at all which was not something she would have been able to do as a human.

"You know where the shed is and while you do that Bella and I will clean up the mess that you made torturing that man," said Jasper calmly handing over the keys to the shed.

"Thanks," said Chris gratefully taking the keys gently so he didn't crush them by accident.

Once they were out of sight Jasper turned to Bella and said, "I think we did a good thing in turning them into our kind. They are handling becoming vampires extremely well just like you did all those years ago when you agreed to become my mate."

"And I've never been happier or regretted that decision for a single instant," Bella assured him giving him a passionate kiss wishing they could continue it but knew they couldn't at least not right now. "You had doubts?" she asked after a minute.

"Not doubts precisely as you know that Peter is never wrong but I just never thought I would change another human into a vampire much less two of them and even if I did that they would be so rational and put together like you were."

"Well I would say that this just about proves our theory that because they knew vampires existed, had accepted the fact that they had for a while and agreed to the transformation that that made a huge difference. In order to prove our theory a hundred percent thought we need too change a few more people into vampires who knew that they were real and see if the same thing happens."

"You're right," Jasper acknowledged. "Still our lives are going to be very different with the addition of the twins at least for the next twenty or thirty years. It'll be awhile before they can be let loose among humans on their own for more then a few hours and that means I can no longer make love to you in front of the fireplace or anywhere I please."

"It's only for a little while and it'll be nice to have what will almost be like children around and yes I know they are about the same age as you were when you were turned but that doesn't mean that they won't be like children discovering new things at least for a while and also learning to control themselves."

"You're right again," Jasper said. "They will add something to our lives and as much as I love it just being the two of us it will be nice to have other people around for more than a month or two every year or two."

"We had better get started on cleaning up that room," said Bella after giving the love of her life another heartfelt kiss.

"Yes we had better I suppose but just so you know I would much rather be doing other things that don't involve anyone but you and me."

"Me to, but we both know that this has to be done as we don't want to leave any evidence lying around for anybody to find and once the twins have finished feeding we'll have to get rid of those bodies to before we can leave. Where are we moving to anyway?"

"I thought we could head to our house in Philadelphia for at least the next year as it is out in the countryside and has plenty of land for the twins to run around on so they won't feel to cooped up when they can't go out in the daytime much because of the sun."

"It also has that high wall where the twins can do things outside and no one will see them sparkle."

"Exactly and I thought they might enjoy seeing themselves sparkle as I seem to remember that you were fascinated by your sparkling skin the first time you saw it."

"I don't know why as I had seen you know who sparkle plenty of times in the past and in any case it wasn't so much me I was fascinated with but you. I thought you looked absolutely gorgeous with your skin sparkling like a million tiny diamonds," Bella gave a dreamy sigh and Jasper kissed his wife's temple as a way of saying thank you.

"I suppose we had better get going," said Jasper sounding truly regretful.

"I suppose so," Bella agreed.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Less than four hours later Jasper, Bella and the twins arrived at their destination in a rental car at about four am in the morning which meant it was still dark out and would be for another couple of hours. Both Jasper and Bella had to have their cars shipped since they had flown and also because Jasper didn't think the twins were prepared to spend so much time in a car with humans in other vehicles so close to them since a vampire's nose was very sensitive and the wind was bound to bring the scent of human blood their way during at least part of their journey.

The twins had been stunned by the luxury of the aircraft that was one of the newer types of passenger shuttles that could cross the continent in two or three hours and even make it to Europe in six to eight depending on where it was heading of course.

"Wow!" Sofia exclaimed impressed as they drove up to the house and Jasper took out a remote that opened the gate that led to the estate that had a three story house built in the middle of the property.

"This is really nice," said Chris as he got out of the car being careful opening the door as he didn't want to wreck it since it was a rental car.

"This particular house used to belong to Carlisle and his wife Esme. The Cullens came here on a couple of occasions although not very often as their aren't as many cloudy or rainy days like in places like Forks, but it's a good place to come for your newborn year as it is very private."

"So what is there to do around here?" asked Chris.

"Since you need to avoid humans except when you are feeding for the next few months there are also plenty of books, games to play and a vid screen with movies to watch. You'll soon find that Carlisle loved to read and had a ton of books in every house he owned. There's also a pool out back that needs to be filled up before it can be used. Also Bella and I will help you learn to control your newborn strength and you should get the hang of it fairly quickly just don't be surprised if you crush and break something as you can now do that very easily. Just because you haven't yet doesn't mean you won't especially if you pick up or grab something without thinking about what you are doing and how much strength to use. Once you are a few months old I will start taking you into town for a couple of hours every few days to see how you do around humans."

"I'm afraid that the life of one of our kind can be rather solitary," said Bella sympathetically when she saw their expressions. "Once you learn to control yourself though you should at least be able to get out around humans without attacking them and then you can go see what sights Philadelphia has to offer, go to the mall or the movies and whatever you want."

"We know and we don't blame either of you. It's not like you were the ones that attacked us and stabbed Chris in the side where he was injured so badly that if you hadn't been there he would have died," said Sofia looking pained as she thought about how she had nearly lost her only remaining family.

"Why don't we unpack the car," Jasper suggested distracting Sofia from her thoughts which she was grateful for. "The rest of our stuff should be here in a few days."

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"I think the time has come for me to tell you of my past," said Jasper one bright sunny day. The twins of course, just as Jasper had predicted were fascinated with their sparkling skin the first time they had gone out in direct sunlight. The estate that had originally been owned by Carlisle and Esme was far enough out in the countryside that they weren't very likely to have visitors as there hadn't even been a caretaker for the property. In the last two month alone Chris and Sofia had helped with several repairs such as repairing the roof because it was leaking, getting the once beautiful garden into some kind of order by cutting back the overgrowth and pulling the weeds so that the flowers could bloom once more. It kept the two of them busy, helped them learn to control their strength and left them free to think as they didn't need a hundred percent of their new brain capacity for such a menial task. It was now just over two months later and both Sofia and Chris were adapting to vampire life with amazing speed. Sure they had both broken several things when they had grabbed or picked up something without thinking about controlling their strength and sure it was weird to not have to sleep for six to eight hours every night but Jasper and Bella had done their best to keep them distracted. The two older Whitlocks gave the twins chores to do around the house or out in the yard, played the old fashioned board games that were a hundred tears out of date and that the twins had never heard of, watched movies and argued playfully over what scenes they had liked the best or whether or not it was good, excellent, bad, corny or just plain silly or stupid in order to mostly distract them. There were also plenty of books to read as the house had a huge library and Chris especially spent a lot of time sitting in one of the old fashioned but comfortable chairs curled up with a good book as he more then his sister had always been the reader. He was one that read for shear pleasure and not just for school unlike his sister who preferred something like going to a sporting event as Sofia was a big sports fan or going to a museum. It wasn't that Sofia minded learning new things it was just she would rather be out doing something then sitting passively reading a book.

Also both Chris and Sofia had spent a lot of time on the internet once they had gotten hold of their strength so they wouldn't crush the keyboard and ordered some more clothes and other essentials as Jasper really hadn't brought many clothes for each of them from their apartment not wanting to make it obvious that some things were missing in case that made anyone suspicious that they might not be quite as dead as they wanted it to appear to the outside world in general despite the bodies Jasper had left in the apartment.

Their new IDs, social security cards, passports, birth certificates and other identification papers had come not more than a couple of weeks after they had arrived in Philadelphia and all of them said that they were twenty-one which really wasn't that far off their actual age.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," said Sofia softly. "You've said on several occasions that your past is very painful for you to talk about and if that's the case than Chris and I don't really need to know." Chris nodded in agreement.

"You need to know for once you are free to travel you will meet others of our kind and when they learn that you are part of my coven they are going to try to tell you all sorts of things about me most of which will either be distorted or outright wrong. It is better if you both know the facts before or if that occurs."

"All right then," said Chris sitting down on the couch Sofia beside him.

"As I've said before I was born in Houston Texas in the 1840's..." and so with Bella curled on his lap as he sat in one of the armchairs Jasper told the twins all about his very violent past and about Maria and the southern wars.

"And that is where all my scars come from," Jasper finished more than six hours later.

"You sure have been through a lot," Chris said calmly. "I don't think I could have survived all that or at least not sane."

"And I agree," said Sofa looking sympathetic.

Jasper breathed a silent sigh of relief for the twins had taken his story much better than he had expected them to. "You're taking my story much better that I expected," said Jasper.

"Why? Did you really expect us to reject you when we learned of your past?" asked Sofia.

When Jasper looked sheepish Sofia shook her head in amazed realization. "You did, you really expected us to reject you."

"Maybe if we just encountered you and we didn't know what kind of man you were that would have been a possibility," Chris conceded. "But we do know what kind of man you are and that is honorable, brave and compassionate. How many people today would go out of their way to help someone else or even call for an ambulance or the police? You didn't have to be there that night, you didn't have to save our lives. You could have just let me die and let Sofia be raped and than more than likely die as well but you didn't."

"Chris is right you saved our lives and you even went so far as to accept us into your family, gave us more money than we could possibly have earned if we had lived to be five hundred years old and gone out of your way to teach us what we need to know to survive as one of your kind. You didn't have to do any of that or accept the responsibility of training us but you did."

"See what have I been telling you for the last hundred years," Bella said speaking for the first time, "you have refused to see that just because of your past does not mean that you are not a good person. Just because most of our kind doesn't know squat about you and so fear you does not mean that you are not kind, loving, compassionate and many more things besides."

"All right, all right," Jasper conceded trying not to smile.

"Both Sofia and I are aware that you can be dangerous as we know your scars prove but we also know that you are only dangerous to people who threaten those you care for and love," said Chris.

"And we are glad to be on that list as we wouldn't want to be your enemy," Sofia added half seriously.

"You got that right as I don't want to know what you would do to us if you did consider us enemies."

"Just look at what we did to that man that hurt Chris so badly. We tortured him to death and if we can do that and we don't have your past then I hate to think what you are truly capable of when you are angry," said Sofia.

"Also Rosalie, Emmett, Peter and Charlotte know you are a good man," said Bella.

"Peter and Charlotte, don't really count and they were in the southern wars with me and so knew in the beginning what kind of man I was but Rosalie and Emmett sure," said Jasper.

"So I want you to quit thinking that you are a bad person because you aren't. You are one of the most compassionate men I know and unlike Carlisle you are also a realist and acknowledge that there is evil in the world. I'm not just saying these things because I love you or to hear myself talk for I really truly deeply believe that and also just because some of our kind are afraid of you because they don't really know you doesn't really matter as the people who are close to you love you despite your violent past. If more of our kind would just try to get to know the real Jasper Whitlock instead of assuming that because of your scars you are violent and dangerous then they would see that while you can be those things, you are also, brave, compassionate, intelligent, humorous, kind, caring and have the same capacity to love as anyone and more in some cases. Sure you are implacable to those who deserve it but who wouldn't be violent or dangerous when someone they love is hurt or threatened."

Jasper listened to the words of his mate and after absorbing them he was able to let go of that part of his past. Bella, Chris and Sofia were right in saying that just because he had a violent side to him which he had had to form in order to survive the southern wars did not make him a bad man and if some of their kind couldn't accept that well that was their fault for not looking past his scars to see who he really was on the inside.

"Who needs those vampires anyway if they can't see the good man you really are," Chris scoffed. "In many ways it seems that vampire's are just like humans. Humans have faults to and many of them never look past the surface of things."

"Well we were once human," Sofia pointed out logically.

"So when do you think we'll be ready to go out around humans?" asked Chris changing the subject aptly.

"Well, you both are doing so well that I thought maybe next month we could run a little test and go drive into town with the windows down. If that goes well maybe we'll try like a movie or something, one with just a few humans. If the movie goes well, we'll see," said Jasper gladly changing the subject.

"You did well when that man from FedEx delivered the things you had ordered, but that was just a single human we'll have to see how you do when you are surrounded by them," said Bella.

"Man being a vampire is hard," said Chris.

"I warned you that life as a vampire was difficult," Jasper told the twins somberly. "Even once you are able to be out on your own it can be difficult especially the older you get. There's only so much traveling you can do at one time before you are sick of it."

"Jasper and I like to travel, but it can get rather tedious if you do to much of it at once. Also since we don't sleep you have to find something to do to keep yourself busy."

"So we have discovered," said Sofia her voice full of dry humor. "I've even started reading some of those books in the library and while I don't mind reading every once in a while I have never been the reader that my brother is. I prefer going out and doing like to a museum if I'm going to be learning something. I did sometimes still read for pleasure but only if a book really caught my eye."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Bella said. "Just because you and Chris are twins doesn't mean you share all the same interests.

"True enough," Sofia admitted. "So what do you do to keep yourself busy?"

"You mean besides make love?" asked Bella with a devious little smirk and a raised eyebrow that would have made both twins blush if they had still been able to.

"Well since neither of us has a significant other what can you do to keep yourself from being bored, I mean besides read, swim in the pool, watch the vid screen or a video or play a game?" asked Chris.

"Well you can learn a new language for example," Jasper suggested. "Both Bella and I speak several."

"That's an understatement as Jasper speaks about eighteen different languages all of them fluently."

"You speak eighteen languages?" asked Chris in astonishment while Sofia just looked flabbergasted.

"It isn't really that hard to learn so many languages once you have a photographic memory, don't need to sleep or take breaks to eat or use the bathroom and before I met Bella I had a lot free time on my hands. Even since then I've picked up five more languages as Bella and I travel a lot. You have to remember I've been around over two hundred and sixty-five years and you can learn a lot of things in that amount of time. Oh and you'll soon find that now that you are using a hundred percent of your brain's capacity instead of ten to fifteen it isn't really difficult to learn new things, like languages or anything really."

"And how many languages do you speak," Sofia asked Bella.

"Oh just six or seven," said Bella casually with an embarrassed shrug. "Jasper taught me and made sure I had the accent down so I'd sound like a native."

"But you were taking language courses at the college," said Chris.

"I wanted to learn a language that Jasper couldn't teach me but since we had to leave town in a hurry I never finished those classes," said Bella simply.

"Will we ever be able to finish our college education?" asked Sofia. "I mean I know that we will never be able to actually work a job but no knowledge is ever wasted after all and as you just pointed out we do need something to do with our time."

"I'd give yourselves at least fifteen years before you even consider doing something like that. That is if you do want to go to an actual college and not just take courses over the internet like Bella did before she started taking those courses in an actual classroom."

"Have you ever been through college?" asked Chris.

"Oh yes, back when I lived with the Cullens. Since we were pretending to be human and wanted to settle in one place for as long as possible that meant that everybody but Carlisle and Esme attended high school and then college right afterwards," said Jasper with a roll of his eyes. "Rosalie, Emmett and I were always enrolled as seniors so at least we only had to put up with high school for a year before we presumably went away to college. Edward and Alice on the other hand were enrolled as sophomores and so had to put up with it for three years instead of one. I've been through college a lot to and taken a lot of different subjects but that was back when I was drinking animal blood and I haven't been through college since Carlisle, Esme and Alice died and I went back to drinking human blood."

"How did you manage to stand being around all those humans?" asked Sofa. "Especially since you said yourself that your control wasn't the best back then."

"It was a struggle, but I also had Alice who could see the future and therefore see if anything was going to go wrong. In any case so long as no one got into my personal space or was openly bleeding I did okay."

"I've always said that it was more his faith in himself that made being around so many humans a problem then his actual bloodlust," said Bella speaking for the first time in awhile. "Back when he was with the Cullens, before we found out we were mates I never got to know him that well, but once I did I knew that it was more the fact that he doubted he could be around humans safely more than his being able to smell the blood that runs in their veins. If you doubt you can do something then that doubt seeps into you and erodes whatever self-confidence you have. Also I believe that none of the Cullens including Carlisle helped the situation. If you want to get better at something like that you need to know that people have confidence in you and believe you can do it and even though none of them probably said anything since Jasper can feel emotions he knew that they doubted he could learn to control himself where he could be around humans more comfortably because of his past."

"You're right, darlin'," admitted Jasper. "I could feel everybody's doubt that I could learn to control myself, and Edward went out of his way to make sure I felt every single little, tiny, bit of his doubt, not to mention his hate, disgust, anger, animosity and every other negative emotion you can name."

"Edward sounds like a real shithead," Chris observed.

"As I told Emmett years ago I've always felt the Edward would have been better off if he couldn't read everybody's thoughts. The only reason he always knew how to act in any given situation is because he could read how everybody expected him to behave right out of their heads. Things might have still happened as they did but then again maybe not and in any case we will never know."

"So do you think either of us will develop a talent?" asked Chris looking intrigued at the thought of having a talent like Jasper's or Bella's

"It's possible," Bella said. "Most vampires don't have any extra talents at all so don't be surprised if you don't.

"You both have them," Sofia pointed out.

"That's true enough, but Carlisle and Esme didn't unless you count Carlisle's unlimitedness compassion and Esme's motherly ways as powers."

"Emmett and Rosalie don't have any special powers either although I suppose you can count the fact that Emmett is at least three times as strong as your ordinary vampire as a power."

"You might both have talents you just haven't discovered yet but in the meantime don't worry about it," Bella suggested. "If you do have talents they will eventually show themselves."

"Will we ever get to meet Rosalie and Emmett and Peter and Charlotte?" asked Sofia.

"Sure eventually, as soon as we know you can control yourselves we'll go to Paris where Emmett and Rosalie are living and also running a nightclub."

"Why would vampires run a nightclub?" asked Chris curiously.

"It was originally Bella's idea. You see Bella thought that a nightclub would be a good way to provide our kind with meals not to mention entertainment without the police showing up at our door asking about missing people. Humans disappear from those types of places all the time and the police don't usually bother to investigate as it is assumed that they were mugged or murdered and the body disposed of."

"Rose and Emmett were at loose ends and so agreed to run it if we could get approval from the Volturi to start up something like that."

"Why would you need approval?" asked Chris looking confused.

"Because it has never been done before and we didn't want to be in trouble with them as they are the rulers of vampire kind. Breaking one of the few laws we have usually means death. It is better to gain permission then to find out you have broken some kind of law as the Volturi are not big on forgiveness."

So they had been right, Chris thought. When they had figured out that their two friends were vampires both him and Sofia had thought that there had to be some form of government keeping humans from finding out about their kind so even though they had suspected something of the sort it was nice to have it confirmed.

"Aro, Caius and Marcus were all intrigued by the idea though and gave permission to give it a try and so far it is going well."

"How long have they been opened?" asked Sofia.

"Just a few months," said Bella, "as they had to scout out a decent location and get everything prepared and things like that."

"So tell us about this nightclub," said Chris looking eager.

"Well since we asked Rose and Emmett to run it we let them choose the location and Rose decided on Paris as not only does it have good shopping which for her at least is a must it is also considered the most romantic city in the world. It opens as soon as the sun goes down and stays open until five am which gives Rose and Emmett just enough time to get home before the sun comes up. In any case it was Uncle Peter's idea to have bottles of blood mixed with just a little water so that they looked like red wine for the vampires that come in. Also it was Emmett's idea to have one of those trash incinerators so that our kind could get rid of the evidence after they have fed."

"So far it is very popular with humans and vampires alike," said Jasper. "We were at the grand opening just about a month before we met you and the place was packed."

"Wait you said that Peter was your uncle, is this the same Peter you've mentioned on several occasions?" asked Sofia changing the subject.

"We discovered almost by accident that the same Peter, Jasper changed into a vampire was my great-uncle by blood. After I was changed I had more of my human memories then most vampires do since like you two I wasn't a normal newborn and I was able to think about certain memories during my first year so I instilled them into my vampire memory. I remembered very vaguely that my grandmother Marie Blakely Swan had a brother. I remember her showing me pictures dimly as I was just seven or so. In any case the first time I met Peter I got a vague impression that he looked familiar and this happened every time I looked at him. I finally remembered that my grandmother had a brother and thanks to Jasper's foresight in getting me to tell him all about my family before I was changed we were able to hire someone to look into my family tree. It took awhile but it was discovered that Peter was indeed my great-uncle by blood that had disappeared in 1945 which is when World War II ended."

"I was still serving Maria back then and I did bite him in 1945. Peter was a soldier and Maria preferred turning soldiers into vampires as they already knew how to fight. I had no idea at the time that Peter would not only find his mate which I also changed but that later we would become brothers. Peter and Char were the only ones that fully accepted me for a long time until I came to live with the Cullens because they had been through the same kind of hell I had."

They continued to talk for several more hours before they headed to do their own things.

Flashback

"Edward Cullen you are found guilty of trying to interfere between mates," Aro began. "That charge alone would not bring death unless it was requested from the mated couple you had wronged and we had granted it. Second you are found guilty of the deaths of your creator Carlisle Cullen, his mate Esme and their daughter Alice. Any last words as I pronounce your sentence?"

Edward didn't say anything just looking sullen as he couldn't read anybodies thoughts thanks to George who was also in attendance as his ability was to scramble everyone's thoughts within a certain radius. His ability worked much like a radar scrambler which annoyed Edward because he didn't know what to say or how to act when he couldn't read peoples thoughts.

Jasper, Bella, Emmett, Rosalie, Peter and Char were the only guests in the throne room but also there was Renata who was the three kings personal shield, Felix, Demetri, Jane, Alec, George and several guards.

Edward knew the futility of saying anything because all Aro had had to do was touch him to read every memory and thought he had ever had and he had done so immediately.

Aro had seen everything, how Edward had burned down the Cullen mansion and trapped Carlisle, Esme and Alice...how he searched for Bella for months when he'd learned that she had not died in the fire and how he had finally learned that she as well as his former family were in Italy...how he had learned where Bella was staying and how he had been intending to kidnap her had she not complied willingly and gone with him and finally how he had not realized that she was a vampire until that confrontation that had taught him that he couldn't always have what he wanted.

"Very well then," said Aro. "Edward Cullen, your punishment is as follows. You will be taken to one of the dungeons where your former family has requested that they be left to deal with you and I and my brothers have agreed to grant their request. I wouldn't expect to get out of this with your limbs intact or even alive as they are all quite upset with you for what you did."

That was the understatement of the century as everyone in the throne room watched how all the former Cullens glared at Edward whom they'd used to consider a brother.

There was a smattering of chuckles from the other vampires present in the room as Jasper, Bella, Emmett and Rosalie had made themselves well liked among the guards in the few months they had been staying in Italy although only Demetri, Jane and Heidi were like family to the four of them and to Jasper and Bella especially.

"Thank you for granting our request," Jasper said politely as he had been given the role of spokesperson, bowing to the brothers. "All four of us have been waiting for this for a long, long time."

"You got that right," said Emmett glaring at his former brother with so much hate, anger and fury in his ruby red eyes that Edward actually took a step back as Emmett was usually very laidback and easygoing.

"Felix, if you would escort, Mr. Cullen down to the most uncomfortable cell in the dungeons."

"Yes, sir," Felix replied slinging Edward over his shoulder and walking out of the room.

"Whenever you are ready to deal with your former brother someone will escort you," said Caius. "Humans will be provided when you need to feed if that is what you wish or you can of course go hunting on your own."

"Thank you for your consideration," said Jasper with another bow. "Will blood be provided for our former brother?"

"Why would you want to do that?" asked Emmett looking shocked that Jasper would even ask such a thing.

"Because we want Edward to keep up his strength so we can torture him for weeks or even months. What fun is torturing somebody that is to weak to respond like they should?" asked Jasper with an evil smirk.

Emmett grinned as he finally understood why Jasper had asked about the blood.

"Blood will be provided," Aro decided after looking at his two brothers to get their opinions, "and if he won't drink it on his own we can have Felix force it down his throat. We will of course not go out of our way to provide animal blood."

"That's just fine," Bella said with an absolutely evil and vindictive smirk that made even the three kings shudder glad that her anger wasn't directed at them. "He's isn't going to be alive long enough to worry about whether he is drinking animal or human blood although I am sure he will be horrified when he sees a live human brought into his cell."

The audience ended and Bella turned to her family. "Before we get started I need to hunt."

"Why don't you start the party without us and we'll join you in a few hours," Jasper said to Rosalie and Emmett. "I'm sure you are eager to get your licks in."

"You bet we are," said Rosalie looking absolutely ruthless and vicious which was just a part of her normal personality although she didn't normally unleash it except on those that hurt the people she loved and Edward certainly fit into that category.

"We'll have someone escort you down," said Caius gesturing to one of the guards. "Escort Mr. McCarty and his wife down to where we are keeping the prisoner," he ordered.

"We'll wait for you at the villa," Peter told Jasper and Bella.

"You might not see us for the next six months," Jasper warned his brother.

"We know how to keep ourselves busy," said Charlotte as she winked then turned and left the castle Peter following.

The guard saluted and did as ordered. "If you will follow me."

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Jasper and Bella drove into town holding hands.

"Why didn't you tell me you needed to feed sooner?" asked Jasper as he drove trying not to be to upset at himself that he had been so distracted that he hadn't noticed that his mate needed to feed. I should have known, Jasper berated himself, silently. Using her shield for an extended length of time has always drained her in the past although not to badly once she started to practice with it regularly.

"Because I knew it could wait until after the trial," Bella said simply, "and quit blaming yourself for not noticing I needed to hunt. We were all distracted at the time."

"How do you always know what I'm thinking?" asked Jasper.

"Because I know you," answered Bella simply even though she was almost positive that the question was rhetorical. "You always blame yourself whether it was your fault or not. You aren't perfect Jasper, none of us are, but that doesn't matter because we love each other and are always there to make up for each other's shortcomings."

"You're right," Jasper said after a moment knowing Bella was right. "I'll try not to blame myself anymore for things I cannot control."

"Of course I'm right? Aren't I always?" Bella said teasingly trying to lighten the suddenly sober mood a little.

"Usually," said Jasper smiling a little.

"Only usually?" asked Bella with a fake pout that made Jasper just want to kiss it away. Suddenly Bella grew serious again, "I did feel a little drained after holding my shield around him for so long but what really caused me to need to feed was the fact that I discovered that I could make my shield soundproof and since I had never done it before much less maintained it for so long is what really made me thirsty."

"You made your shield soundproof?" asked Jasper in amazement. "Whatever made you think to try that?"

"Well I was getting so tired of hearing him call me love, not to mention assume that I still loved him and that I would leave with him willingly even after I told him that I loved you. He kept acting like I was some kind of damsel in distress out of a bad romance novel and treating me like a two year old that didn't have the intelligence to make her own decisions just like he did when we were dating but since I had promised Aro not to do him to much damage before his trial, I thought I might as well try making my shield soundproof so I didn't have to listen to him anymore and much to my surprise it worked."

Jasper shook his head in admiration and amazement, "I never would have thought of trying that kind of thing if I had a shield instead of my empathic talent. I am so proud of you, not only did you handle Edward without any help you managed to discover a new aspect of your talent which will be very useful in the long run." Jasper sent his mate his pride and love and Bella practically glowed as she sent her love and devotion back to him while giving his hand a loving squeeze.

The two of them arrived in a seedy part of town and Bella located her meal without to much trouble which was good as she was anxious to get back to the castle so the torture of Edward Anthony Masen could began and besides she couldn't wait to see what Rose and Emmett had done to him while she and Jasper had been gone.

"Those three," Bella told Jasper in a whisper as they both spotted two women who were dressed in sharp business suits and a much shorter, rotund man standing in the middle also dressed in a suit although it was older and out of style. They three of them had been standing in the shadow of a doorway of what looked to be one of those adult toy stores and had just stepped into the street. "I recognize them," she added. "The two women are sisters and run quite a few whorehouses. They prefer kidnapping or buying children for older men and woman to rape again and again. The children range in age from just seven or eight all the way to eighteen. Once they reach eighteen they are either sold off or if that doesn't work out they are killed. The man I believe is their accountant and is also into little boys and so takes part of their services."

"How do you know?" asked Jasper sounding furious for if there was one thing that his whole family agreed on and that was that you didn't go after children or use them like these two woman apparently were.

"It was one of the few times I went hunting alone and by the time I discovered what they did I had already fed and was full but I swore I would do to them what they did to those poor defenceless children next time I encountered them. I mean they are more monsters then we will ever be as we might drink human blood but we don't feed off children."

"That's right," said Jasper outraged not even upset that Bella had followed them without any backup since she was there beside him and besides no mere human could hurt her since she was a vampire. "Are you sure you don't want to wait and torture then a little like what we did to your mom and stepfather?" asked Jasper.

"I almost wish we didn't have fuckwad to deal with so we could take them somewhere where nobody would hear them if they screamed for days. Unfortunately those children need us, but next time we discover someone who takes advantage of children hopefully we can torture them a little," said Bella with a truly regretful sigh for opportunities lost. Jasper loved her even more at that moment for unlike most of their kind she allowed her demon out to play when she saw an injustice done, especially one involving children and yet she didn't feel guilty for torturing pieces of scum and eventually killing them so innocent people could be a little safer. As long as something didn't set her off, like someone using children for their own evil ends, then she was the most kindhearted, compassionate person he had ever known. Bella had control of her demon or what was also known as the vampire part of her and only let her out to play on rare occasions. As for him that part of him had been dulled by drinking animal blood and his time living with the Cullens although the demon part of him was always there waiting to be set free and rattled the bars of his cage occasionally. Now that he was back on human blood and he let his demon out to play every once in a while he was in better control then he had ever been before and could be around humans more.

Jasper nodded in agreement, still looking furious but he agreed that at the moment his former brother was their first priority.

As it turned out it wasn't to hard to lure the two women and their accountant out as they were looking to expand their business and get into young, healthy adults both male and female for a different target group and they quietly discussed it as they walked to wherever their destination was. Jasper and Bella stood in the shadows as they listened to the man whose name they learned was Don advised his clients that there was a lot of money to be made in the prostitution and slavery of young men and woman, anywhere from eighteen to thirty-five.

"Oh, yes, there is quite a lot of money to be made in healthy slaves who are more mature," said Don. "You could make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year or more. There are a lot of sick people in the world that just love to shell out hundreds of dollars a pop to have a chance to rape a Jap, or a Chinaman or anybody really who is not of their own race. You could make a ton of money if you had a few people from every race, both men and woman."

"Hmm sounds, lucrative," said one of the woman thoughtfully tapping her chin.

"Very lucrative," Don agreed not seeming to care that he was suggesting selling human beings into what was practically slavery to be used and abused and then killed when their usefulness was at an end. "By the time you and your sister are old and grey and decide it's time to retire you'll have plenty of money to do that."

"We'll look into it. Your suggestion is a good one," the other sister decided.

"It's what you pay me for," said Don with a smile of satisfaction.

The two sisters walked off still talking to Don about going into a different sort of slavery then what they had been doing previously and still keeping up with the other one.

Jasper and Bella followed silently both communicating through their emotions feeling no need to speak at all. After hearing those two sisters talk about starting up another prostitution business just so they could get even more rich made both Jasper and Bella furious. Neither one was naïve and knew that such things as slavery and the exploitation of children and others existed but it made them furious all the same because no one should want to get rich from the pain of another human being, especially children.

"That is just sick," Bella commented so quietly that only another vampire could possibly have heard her. Her voice was beyond furious. "How could someone be so...evil as to own and run an establishment where children or anybody really is forced to do as they are told and if they don't then they are either killed because they are troublemakers, or their families are threatened?"

"The human race has always been prone to violence and to the exploitation of others anybody who has read their history knows that, but I've got to admit it's gotten a lot worse in the later twentieth, early twenty-first century," said Jasper his voice also to low to be heard by the humans they were tracking. "I've been around a long time and I've noticed over the last seventy years or so that instead of the human race trying to control their natural instincts they just don't care who they hurt as long as they get what they want." Jasper shook his head and Bella could feel his anger and knew it wasn't directed at her but at people like the three in front of them who would hurt children just so they could get rich and not just children but young men and women who had done nothing wrong except perhaps be born into a poor family or who had bad luck and ended up on the street. Bella also knew that in some cases people were kidnapped away from their families and made to do as they were told or their families were threatened or possibly killed for disobedience. The police couldn't stop everything as some criminals were clever and weren't caught for years if ever.

"I want these people, Jasper," Bella told her mate. "I want to do more then just drain them dry for they deserve to be tortured for days, if not weeks, or months."

"I agree," said Jasper. "So what do you want to do about them?"

"Well as much as I would love to take them somewhere and torture them with the whole Edward thing..." Bella paused as if searching for the right words.

"Edward comes first and it makes you mad that you can't give these three people what they deserve as just draining them is to quick," Jasper finished.

"Exactly," said Bella not surprised that Jasper knew what her feelings were even if she had trouble articulating them sometimes as he was a very intelligent man and knew her well. "But on the other hand those children need us. When I followed the taller of the two sisters after I found out what they did for a living, I discovered that she and her younger sibling own fifty whorehouse all over Italy and they probably have more then a fifteen hundred children between them."

"Fifteen hundred children?" asked Jasper and Bella could feel his shock at the thought of so many children being exploited.

"Yes, and that doesn't even include the ones that have either died while in captivity or were killed if they couldn't be sold like so much cattle after they reached eighteen. When I followed the taller one she went to a warehouse where apparently all the records are kept and once I was sure that there were no humans around I looked through all the records which instead of being on computer are kept in filing cabinets in what is apparently an office. I am sure though that the records are stored in separate locations as well in case something happened."

"You know this gives me an idea," said Jasper looking thoughtful his red eyes sparkling in the the moonlight.

"What?" asked Bella curiously.

"Well after we drain these three why don't we make it look like they were knifed by a mysterious assailant? We could call in an anonymous tip to the police and tell them the location of the warehouse where all the files are located."

"And maybe leave a message about how some mysterious person discovered what they were doing and decided to get revenge for children everywhere."

"And the children will be relocated and hopefully get some help for the abuse they have been through."

"Great idea," said Bella. "It might take a little longer but it's worth it just so we can get those children help and I doubt the police will try very hard to find the person or persons who killed them once they discover what kind of members of society they were."

"If they don't already know and maybe just don't have enough evidence to close them down," Jasper pointed out.

"That's a good point," Bella conceded.

"And also it has the added advantage of getting three more evil monsters off the streets since the authorities either don't know about them or don't have the evidence to do anything," added Jasper with an evil smirk as he and Bella continued to follow the two women and man.

"Or it could be they are being bribed to ignore the whole situation," Bella said following her mate's thought with ease.

His Bella, was so kind, beautiful, sexy, intelligent, strong, sensible, practical and loving but then she also had an evil side that she let out to play when she saw an injustice done, Jasper mused thinking about how lucky he was to be gifted with such a woman. How had he gotten so lucky as to deserve such a woman? He wondered. Not that he was stupid enough to question it.

"I love you Jasper and I don't think I tell you that nearly enough," added Bella taking his hand in hers and giving it a loving squeeze pulling him from his thoughts.

"You tell me each and every day," Jasper told her returning the squeeze. "Even if you don't say the words I can feel your emotions remember and I can always feel how much you love me."

"Always," Bella promised him with the solemnity of a vow.

"Always," Jasper repeated in the same tone. They were both silent for a moment then Jasper said, "Well darlin', shall we take care of these three and then got back and take care of my former brother?"

"We shall," agreed Bella as they entered what looked to be an abandoned building and stood in the shadows and observed the three as they sat in some chairs that had been set up. Apparently they used this empty building often to discuss business and probably had some kind of story out that it was haunted so they wouldn't get squatters or bums using it.

Jasper felt his mate's hunger and impatience and so sent their three targets enough fear, pain and bewilderment that they couldn't move from the force of it. Bella instantly had her shield up and soundproofed around the room as they started to scream and whimper in pain so they wouldn't draw attention. Their screams were so loud that Bella was surprised that the dilapidated building didn't start coming down around their ears.

"Why are you doing this to us?" whimpered one of the woman as she saw Jasper and Bella standing there.

"What are you?" asked the man as Jasper and Bella both stepped into what little light was available and he saw their red eyes and the way they moved with a lethal grace that was unhuman.

"Your worst nightmare," Bella hissed grabbing one of the woman by the front of her business suit and slamming her against what was left of the shattered staircase that had led upstairs. "What we are is your consciouses. Don't think we don't know what you do for a living," said Bella as she calmly watched as Jasper grabbed the other woman and used his fingernail to draw blood by running it down her left cheek.

"Hmm, delicious," Jasper murmured as he pressed his cold tongue to the woman's cheek licking up the blood that ran down it. "Nice and pure, straight from the tap and no hint of any drugs in your system. I'm going to enjoy draining you dry."

The woman whimpered, screamed and started to struggle, trying to get away but Jasper was holding her so tightly that there was no way that she would be able to escape.

"Sorry there is no escape for any of you," said Bella as she smirked evilly watching her mate at work which turned her on and made her wet and wanting him. "You ought to feel privileged as we only torture people who really tick us off and as much as I want to prolong this we have other business to attend to so you ought to feel lucky that though you will die, it will be relatively quick, if not painless."

"If we didn't have other business we would torture you for weeks until your bodies couldn't take anymore because if there is one thing that really makes me and my mate furious it is the exploitation of children, especially children who are forced raped again and again and again, just because you are so sick that you don't care who you hurt just so you get rich," added Jasper growling. "Children are innocent and to use them in such a way is just evil and deserves to be punished and since the police either don't care or just haven't caught you we will just have to do it for them as well as for all those children that you have killed or taken advantage off." Jasper amped up the fear and terror the three were feeling with his ability as it sweetened the blood, not that they needed much sweetening but still both Bella and Jasper watched with delight as their three captives yelled and screamed in horror and terror begging for their lives.

"You beg for your lives after what you have done to more then 25,000 children over the years that you have been in business," said Bella as she slammed the younger sister against one of the walls hard enough to cause some pain but not hard enough to make a hole. "10,000 of those children are either dead or were sold off like they were some kind of cattle instead of human beings who have souls, hopes, dreams, wants and desires. Don't try to deny it," Bella added as the woman she was playing with tried to protest, "I've seen your records in that warehouse office. You've been in business for almost twenty-five years as I read every one of your records and you're already millionaires several times over and yet you want more, more, more. Perhaps if you hadn't been so greedy you would now be living the highlife instead of in this situation but then again I guess being greedy is part of human nature and I should be grateful as you might never have paid for your crimes otherwise."

The three sorry excuses for human beings whimpered at Bella's words. "Come on Jasper as much as they deserve it let's quit playing with our food," said Bella as she watched Jasper slam the older sister up against a wall growling all the while and leaving bloody trails all over her skin due to the cuts he was inflicting on her. Watching him go all feral drove Bella wild with desire and need but she knew that now was not the time for that unfortunately. "We do have a certain former family member to deal with in the Volturi's dungeon and we can't allow Emmett and Rosalie to have all the fun."

"As you wish, darlin'," Jasper agreed calming down and exposing the woman's neck. He bit down and immediately started to suck and watched Bella do the same to the other sister. It wasn't long before both sisters hearts started to slow and it was just a few long draws later they were both drained dry.

"Well, darlin', shall we have desert?" asked Jasper with a smirk as he looked at Don who was all curled up on the floor whimpering, as his voice had gone hoarse from all his screaming and begging for his life.

"Oh, yes, please," said Bella eagerly. "It's two bad we don't have the time to torture you like you deserve." Bella sounded regretful and sighed looking a little upset for opportunities lost.

"Mercy!" begged Don in a whimper.

"Mercy?" growled Jasper ferociously his eyes going from red to black. He looked so feral and dangerous at that moment that Don shrank away from his two captives as much as he was able, whimpering all the while. Jasper took a step closer to their one remaining captive his hands clenched into fists and a deadly glint in his eyes, that were at the moment the color of dried blood. Bella had never seen the love of her eternity so furious and the color of his eyes showed that he felt not one hint of compassion for the man lying before him. "You ask for mercy after selling so many children into prostitution and slavery? What kind of mercy did you show those children who did nothing to deserve what was done to them other then be born? In my day and age children were loved, cherished and looked after, not kidnapped, used and abused."

"Come on Jasper let's finish our desert and get out of here," said Bella touching her mate's arm lightly and sending him her love and devotion in a steady stream. Jasper immediately began to calm down his eyes going back to their normal ruby red color. "You're right, darlin'," said Jasper giving Bella a passionate kiss all the while sending her his undying love.

"Sorry, no mercy for you, not that you really deserve any," Bella said tonelessly as she finally grabbed Don off the floor and exposed his neck to her mate indicating for him to take the first sip.

Jasper complied and bit down, Bella following a second later biting into the other side of Don's neck. As they drank they gazed at each other and held hands and it wasn't long before Don quit struggling as his heart slowed and then stopped.

"Hmm," Bella purred as she detached her mouth from Don's neck. "That was delicious. I didn't taste any drugs in his system or the woman either which is very unusual considering their profession."

"Yes it is," Jasper agreed as he gave his mate a kiss licking blood off her chin in the process while Bella did the same for him getting a spot of blood off his cheek. "We had better arrange the evidence and then make that call because we need to get back and deal with a certain former brother of mine."

"Yes, we should," Bella agreed looking just a little regretful. "We've been gone for almost four hours already and I'm sure Rosalie and Emmett are wondering where we are."

"Not to mention Peter and Char," Jasper agreed, "though they won't be to worried as they know I can take care of myself and you as well."

Bella didn't bother to point out that she could take care of herself as she knew that Jasper had over a century and a half more experience then her. Besides she loved the fact that he was always concerned about her safety and wellbeing just like she was always concerned about his and yet he still didn't make her feel like she couldn't protect herself.

Jasper called the police while Bella arranged the bodies to make it look like they had been killed in revenge. All three bodies had over a dozen wounds each from their fingernails and at least one of those, if not several was over an artery to make it look like someone had finally gotten tired of playing and just cut the artery so the blood would drain in minutes.

"There all done," said Bella.

"Good, because the police will be here in a few minutes and we don't want any hint that we were ever here."

Both Jasper and Bella surveyed the scene one last time and made sure to carve the address of the warehouse into the flesh of the older sister's chest and a brief message into the other one before they left.

"Think the police will look into it?"

"Oh yes," said Jasper. "And it won't surprise me if this ends up on the news."

"Don't we usually try to avoid getting stories on the news?" asked Bella looking a little concerned as they reached their car.

"Usually, we do," Jasper agreed opening the car door for his mate like the gentleman he was raised to be, "but there is no way the human authorities will be able to tell that they were killed by a supernatural creature as we set it up to look like some kind of mysterious avenger came and killed them in revenge for what they were doing to those children. We can't do that kind of thing to often though as we wouldn't want the authorities to catch on or think it is some kind of serial killer or something."

Bella nodded agreement, "I imagine it was much easier to kill someone a hundred years ago, before there was televisions, radios and the internet."

"Shit, even fifty years ago it would have been easier," said Jasper as he drove the car towards the castle. "It's true there was no internet back then, but there was radios, televisions and newspapers, although information wasn't as easily spread as it is today. This century is known as one of instant communication for a reason what with cell phones in common use. All you have to do today is call 911 or the equivalent of whatever country you are in and report a crime without even leaving the area."

Bella nodded thinking to herself that as it was not something she had ever thought about before, not now and not when she was human or at least she didn't remember thinking about it.

Even though her father had been the chief of police that didn't mean that she had thought about what her father did and how much easier it was to communicate, spread

information or even to travel somewhere.

"You're right," Bella agreed after thinking about it for a few minutes. "Not to change the subject but there was something I was going to ask you before fuckwad showed up."

"What's that?" asked Jasper curiously with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I've been thinking that since I've learned to control my strength so well that I would like to get me some transportation for when I go out by myself."

"A car?" asked Jasper.

"No, a motorcycle," said Bella looking a little embarrassed.

"Why a motorcycle?" asked Jasper sounding curious. "Not that I object, I just never thought you were interested in that kind of thing that's all."

"I'll tell you the same story I told Charlotte," said Bella and proceeded to tell him how when she had been fifteen she had ridden a Moped. "My father hated motorcycles and I suppose I can't really blame him considering he was the chief of police and I'm sure he saw a lot of accidents. It's one of the few times I got yelled at by both parents," said Bella grimacing as she remembered. "Besides now that I'm a vampire I can see the attraction of owning a high performance vehicle and why all the Cullens like speed. I mean when I went shopping with Rose she drove at 200 miles an hour on the back roads and it was like taking a leisurely Sunday drive."

Jasper chuckled at Bella's description even though she was right he had never heard it put in quite those terms before. "You're right," Jasper acknowledged, "and if that's what you want, then as soon as this whole Edward thing is taken care of we'll look into it. One of the best manufacturers of motorcycles is right here in Italy."

"So Charlotte said," said Bella. "Once I get one I'm sure Rose will be happy to work on it to make it go even faster."

"Oh yes, she hasn't had a vehicle to work on in months and Rose is never happier then when she is underneath a car or working on an engine."

"Which is surprising considering that she is also into fashion and cares more about her looks then I ever have. I mean she has to look perfect, from her face, to her hair, to her clothes and shoes. The two things just don't seem to mix, you know. Oh and being a bitch is also something she is also good at."

"I think she mainly learned because as vampires we need something to do with our time, considering we don't sleep. The subject interested her and it turned out that she was good at it so it became a passion, you know? Also I won't deny those things you mentioned about Rose but that is not all that she is. The more time you spend with her you will find that although Rose can certainly be the queen of bitch and she does love fashion and buying clothes, she has a good heart even if she doesn't show it very often. For example Rose is absolutely loyal to the people she loves and will fight fiercely for the people she considers family."

"Yes, I can see that," said Bella feeling bad for the things she had said. She loved Rose almost as much as she did Emmett, although neither one was even in the same stratosphere as her love for Jasper and that was as it should be since the love for a brother or sister was of course different then the love one had for their other half. "I know that there is more to Rose personality then she let's most people see. If she had remained human she never would have learned that she liked working on cars and would have remained the same shallow, selfish person she can still sometimes be. Don't get me wrong, I love Rose and I know that being shallow is not her whole personality, but sometimes she still reverts back to what she was probably like as a human."

"That part of her is more self-defense then anything else or at least now it is," said Jasper. "It's a defense mechanism to protect herself from being hurt, like she was by her fiance and his friends."

"Yes I can see that," said Bella who had heard Rose's story by this point.

"Actually since I now know you are interested motorcycles I actually own a Ducati though it is almost sixty years old. It is in fact one of the first motorcycles ever produced by them and is what made them famous and well known. It's a classic and I've seen several in different museums in different cities. I'm sure I could get at least four times what's it worth if I was to sell it to some collector. Anyway I've been meaning to get a new one and I just never got around to it," said Jasper.

"Oh can I see it some time?" asked Bella sounding eager.

"Sure, it's in storage in Dakota," said Jasper with a shrug. "The Cullens lived there like eight years ago and I didn't have time to get it as that was one time we had to leave in the middle of the night. After we got settled in Canada I contacted a company and paid them a huge fee in order to put my motorcycle in storage and not to mention it to anyone or even put it in their records."

"And they did that?" asked Bella in surprise.

"Oh yes, as this particular company didn't have the best reputation and was known for it's dishonest dealings. They had barely managed to avoid being shut down on at least three occasions."

"And you trusted them to put your precious motorcycle in storage, especially one worth so much?" asked Bella in amazement her astonishment plain in both her emotions and on her face.

"Well if it's one thing people like that like, it's money and I made sure I paid them enough not to ask questions and to do what I asked. Not to mention they only got half until the job was done and then I wired the rest into their bank account once they proved to me the job was finished."

"All this over a motorcycle?" asked Bella amazed at the lengths some people would go through in order to preserve certain things.

Jasper shrugged, "What can I say, except I am very fond of that particular motorcycle."

"You must be," Bella muttered still shaking her head at the length some people would go through to preserve something like that although she supposed it was a piece of history.

"Someday you'll have something that is really important to you and then you'll understand why I went to such lengths to preserve it."

"So why did you guys have to leave Dakota in the middle of the night?" asked Bella curiously.

"I'll tell you the story sometime but we are almost back at the castle and I have a question for you before we get there," said Jasper.

"All right, I'm holding you to that," said Bella curiosity just radiating off her. "So what's your question?"

"How would you feel if Rose, Emmett, you and me took shifts in torturing Edward? I mean let Emmett and Rose torture him for a couple of days, put him back together, feed him some blood so that he will heal, well as much as he is able, and then we take over."

"You mean like a rotating schedule?"

"Something like that," agreed Jasper. "That way it will give us time to hunt and of course visit with Peter and Char as I don't want to leave them by themselves all the time. Not only would that be rude, I wouldn't do that to them after all they have done for me."

"And of course make love," Bella added with a raised eyebrow lust radiating off her.

"Yes, we mustn't forget that," said Jasper with a smirk sending Bella his lust in return.

"Sounds good, cowboy," said Bella. "I can go for that."

"Good, just let me call Emmett and let him know that they can have him for the next 43 hours."

"And we need to give him a day to heal as it won't be as much fun if he isn't fully fused back together before we get started," Bella reminded him with a wink as if they were talking about something normal and not about the torture of fuckwad. "Ask Demetri to make sure that he is fed and to force it down his throat if necessary."

"Oh I'm sure that will be necessary as you know how he feels about drinking human blood," Jasper smirked looking forward to feeling all of Edward's revulsion and horror when he realized that he had drank from a human.

"You're right and there's no point in bothering to disguise the fact that he is drinking from a human as he won't live long enough for it to bother him. I'm sure that someone will have to hold him from behind while someone else forces it down his throat. I would love to see that," Bella snickered taking obvious enjoyment in the fact that Edward was going to be horrified and then feel all guilty for drinking from a human even if it had been forced.

"So why don't we go see?" asked Jasper. "I'm sure whoever does it won't mind if we watch."

"Oh Jasper you really know how to treat a girl right," said Bella leaning over to kiss his cheek silently wishing that it was his lips instead.

"Well, darlin', if I had known that you enjoyed that kind of thing sooner I'm sure I would have found a way to oblige you," Jasper drawled in his best and thickest southern accent which he knew drove Bella wild with desire.

"Oh I'll enjoy it all right," said Bella with a smirk getting instantly wet when Jasper used his accent on her. She licked Jasper's cheek to give him a preview of what she really wanted to do to him, "but only if I know that the person or persons deserve it. I won't do that kind of thing to the innocent."

"And I agree," said Jasper. "There are a lot of evil people in the world though, so I am sure we will have plenty of opportunities to indulge our demonic sides over the next few centuries."

"You're right," said Bella. "I'll call Jane, so that she can tell the kings," added Bella.

"And I'll call Emmett," said Jasper who had been intending to do it a few minutes ago but had been distracted by his very beautiful and sexy mate. "Also this way we won't get in each others way, you know and it gives us some time to ourselves," added Jasper with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Bella laughed and they both got out their cell phones and made their calls neither of which was very prolonged but then they didn't need to be. After they had hung up they just sat in silence until Jasper pulled up at their rented villa not two minutes later.

End Flashback

"Why don't you tell me about the Cullens," Sofia suggested as she and Bella were up in her room fixing each other's hair and doing other girly things. Sofia was very interested to learn all about Jasper's and Bella's former family.

Bella considered on what to tell Sofia for a moment as she fixed Sofia's hair. It used to be she hated doing what she had used to refer to as Bella Barbie but with Sofia it was much more relaxed and even fun than it ever had been with Alice. For one thing she got to choose what she wanted to have done instead of going by one of Alice's stupid visions and that was what she believed made the difference.

"What do you want to know?" asked Bella finally trying to not think about their demise as it was still a very painful subject to her and probably always would be.

"What were they really like?" asked Sofia.

"Well Carlisle was one of the compassionate men either human or vampire that I have ever known. Don't get me wrong he did have his faults as for one thing he thought that any of our kind were evil if they drank human blood and refused to change. I'm still not sure to this day whether he was just to stubborn to see that drinking human blood is natural to us or if he just couldn't understand why more of our kind didn't drink from animals. He had never drunk from a human so perhaps that is at least partially why he couldn't or wouldn't understand why The Majority of our kind drank from what was is for them a perfectly natural food source. In any case from what I know he spent a couple of centuries perfecting his control and after that he became a doctor which for our kind is unheard of because most of us don't have the control necessary to be around bleeding wounds day in and day out without draining them dry and yet Carlisle did. Also as much as I thought of him as a father figure he never did fully accept Jasper's past."

"Maybe because he had never been through something similar himself?" Sofia suggested.

"Probably, in any case although Carlisle did accept Jasper into the family he didn't do anything to stop Edward from hating him, I'm not sure he even noticed as he did tend to get involved in his work. The very least he could have done was paid attention to what was happening within his own family and talked to Edward to at least try to get him to see that Jasper was not evil just because he had been changed so he could fight in the southern wars. I'm not saying that would have changed Edward's opinion as he did tend to view things in black and white and he was very stubborn but it might have changed the way things happened, but then again maybe not and in any case we'll never know."

"And the rest of the family?" asked Sofia.

"Esme was one of the kindest, loving and motherly woman I've ever known and it didn't matter one bit that she was a vampire. From what I know her husband from when she was human was abusive and when she ran away after she found out she was pregnant. When the baby was born he didn't live more than a few days before he died and Esme feeling she had nothing to live for jumped off a cliff. Back then suicide was considered taboo and got you buried on unconsecrated ground. She ended up in the morgue of the same hospital where Carlisle was working and although no human could have detected a heartbeat especially with the instruments of the time Carlisle who worked in the morgue did with his sensitive hearing."

"But why turn her into a vampire?" asked Sofia confused.

"Well according to what I know Carlisle and Esme apparently met when she was just sixteen and broke her leg falling out of a true. Even though Carlisle didn't realize it at the time that they were mates he did when he discovered her in the hospital morgue in Ohio as he had this driving need to save her."

"Just like Jasper had to save you when you were so injured after the fire," suggested Sofia.

"Yes, exactly," Bella agreed. "The next created was Rosalie. Carlisle was working at the hospital in Rochester New York and was walking home when he discovered her almost dead in an alley. She had been raped by her very drunk finance and his friends a week before they were to get married and then left for dead in that alley. Carlisle hoped at the time that Rosalie would be a mate for Edward but they couldn't stand each other. Edward could read Rose's thoughts and thought she was a shallow, uncaring bitch who cared more about her looks then her family and Rosalie that Edward was nosy, judgmental, stick up his ass child. While I am not denying that Rose can be shallow she is much more than that but Edward refused to see that.

"Next to come into the family was Emmett. Emmett was hunting up in the mountains of Tennessee when he was attacked by a bear. Rosalie was also hunting in those same mountains when she came across a very injured and dying Emmett and immediately recognized him as her mate so she picked him up and ran him to Carlisle as fast as she could so he could change Emmett. She had to hold her breath the whole way because of the blood."

"Why didn't Rosalie just change him?" asked Sofia confused.

"Because it takes a tremendous amount of control to not drain a human dry and at that time Rosalie was still relatively new to the vampire life and knew that she tried to change him that she would end up killing him and so she brought him to Carlisle," said Bella "Emmett who was conscious for the trip thought Rose was an angel that had come to take him to Heaven," Bella added snickering.

"And Alice and Jasper?" asked Sofia not bothering to ask about Edward since he had turned traitor.

"Were already vampires when they arrived at where the Cullens were living at the time."

Sofia nodded for she had already known that Jasper hadn't been changed by Carlisle but she hadn't known about Alice though it made sense.

"From what I know of Alice's history, which isn't much was that she was in some kind of insane asylum and then got changed into a vampire. Alice had no memory of her life beforehand so she didn't now how she got put into that insane asylum or how she was changed afterwards. All she remembered was waking up alone in the middle of a forest and the first vision she had was of Jasper and the second was of the Cullens and she set out to find Jasper first then then the Cullens."

Both women were silent for a while and then Sofia asked softly, "So when do you think Jasper and Chris will be back?"

Jasper and Chris had gone into town for a kind of test run as Jasper felt it was better if he took one of the twins into town at a time while Bella stayed with the other one as trying to control one out of control newborn was hard enough but taking two newborns into town at the same time was just asking for trouble.

"I don't know," said Bella putting her arm around Sofia's shoulders, "but Jasper was right that it was better to take just one of you into town at a time since most newborns wouldn't be able to control themselves around so many humans so soon after their change and although you and your brother are unusual newborns in a lot of ways that doesn't mean we can afford to take chances."

"He took you into town when you were less than a week old back when you were first changed," Sofia pointed out.

"Yes but Jasper and I are mated so my attention tended to be more focused on him then on all the luscious human scents surrounding me," said Bella. "Still is come to that," admitted Bella after a moment. "They should be back soon though and hopefully it went well."

"I hope so," said Sofia looking nervous as she thought about her own upcoming trial the next day.

"Don't be nervous, you'll do just fine," Bella assured her friend.

"Weren't you nervous the first time Jasper took you into town?" asked Sofia.

"Yes, very much so," Bella admitted. "I suppose being nervous is only natural unless you don't care about who you feed on or about being seen which is unfortunately very true for some of our kind."

The two women tried to distract themselves from thinking and worrying about Jasper and Chris by talking and doing there hair and painting their nails.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Now when we get into town I'm going to open the windows and I want you to take a good deep breath. After you do that make sure you hold your breath until you are sure you aren't going to break the door off its hinges in order to get to all the luscious scents. Once you are sure you have control you can take another breath and so on. While you are doing that I am going to monitor your emotions to make sure you aren't feeling the urge to leap out of this car as not only would that attract attention that we don't need but we would have to leave the area in a hurry."

Chris listened to Jasper's instructions intently and couldn't help but feel nervous as while he didn't mind feeding off criminals he really didn't want to murder someone innocent like a child.

"Don't feel nervous, I'll be with you every step of the way and can immobilize you if I have to," Jasper assured Chris calmly.

"How?" asked Chris not sure if he really wanted to know.

"By sending you enough fear and pain that you will be unable to move," Jasper told Chris bluntly making him shiver. "I don't really want to have to do that as I already think of you and Sofia like a son and daughter but I will if I must as we can't afford for humans to find out about us. It's why I thought it might be a bad idea to have both of you out here at the same time until you learn to control yourselves."

Chris was stunned at Jasper's statement which was said so causally that it took a few seconds to sink in and then he immediately felt a warm glow at the words think of you like a son for he thought of Jasper like a father, brother, uncle and wise counselor all rolled into one. Jasper was someone he could always go to for advice if he was having problems or just to talk. They looked the same age true but really weren't as Jasper was almost three hundred years old even if he didn't look it and he and Sofia were only twenty.

"Didn't you know that?" asked Jasper as he felt Chris's emotions which were astonishment, love and stunned incredibility. "As I told Bella a long time ago I would not have turned just anyone into vampire. I was forced to do a lot of that doing my days in the southern wars, to turn a lot of innocent people into vampires just so they could fight in Maria's bloody war for territory. I was then forced to kill most of them once their strength waned after their first year and the rest died in battle. I made peace with my past years ago but I also promised myself that I was not going to turn just anyone into a vampire and that there would have to be some compelling reason for me to do so. Bella and I both agreed after knowing you for a few months that if something happened and either one of you was hurt fatally that we would turn you into a vampire with your consent. Of course we never talked about changing the other one but I can see that with you being twins that if one was turned into a vampire then the other would have to be as well as most twins are exceptionally close. Besides in a way this is better for despite the fact that you proved you could keep your mouth shut about the existence of vampires if the Volturi ever discovered that we hadn't either killed you or turned you into one of our kind it would have meant death for the human or humans in question and probably for us as well as you well know since we have told you all about the rulers of vampire kind."

"Wow, that's harsh!" Chris exclaimed.

"But you can understand why it has to be like that," said Jasper calmly. "We cannot afford for humans to find out about our kind as the results would most likely be just like the Salem Witch trials several centuries ago. We would be hunted down and the humans would eventually figure out how to permanently kill us."

"Yes, you're right," Chris admitted. "It was one of the reasons Sofia and I kept our mouths shut since we didn't want something like that to happen since you were our friends. You had never done us any harm so we didn't see any reason to try and harm you or your kind. Besides who would have listened to us even if we had said anything?"

"Oh if what you said had reached the right ears it's possible we would be dealing with a mob. Some people even today believe in vampires or other creatures that are just supposed to be myths or legends and they don't need proof in order to come and burn us out. Remind me to tell you about the Quileutes sometime."

"The Quileutes?" asked Chris curiously.

"I'll tell you about them another time as we have just reached the outskirts of town," said Jasper lowering the automatic windows.

Chris felt his nerves rise when Jasper said that but he immediately felt calm wash over him and he knew that Jasper had felt his nerves and used his power on him in order to calm him down.

"Thanks," said Chris gratefully.

"You're welcome," said Jasper as they started to get past he outskirts of town and into the more populated areas.

Chris took a deep breath just as Jasper instructed him to as they got deeper and deeper into town and the wind immediately brought hundreds of mouthwatering, luscious scents to his nose, each more tantalizing then the last. Chris's inner vampire immediately wanted to rip the door off the car and drain every human in the area dry. It didn't care that it would be revealing that vampires existed to the human race all it cared about was getting and feasting on all that delicious blood.

"Chris, hold your breath," Jasper ordered his commanding voice penetrating the fog that seemed to have taken over his brain. "I know what your demon wants to do but you must get control. Do you want to be responsible for killing innocent people and revealing vampires to the human race?"

Chris did as instructed and held his breath, making the bloodlust recede due to lack of oxygen. His inner demon growled in protest and rattled the bars of his cage demanding to be let loose so it could feed on all those mouthwatering, delicious scents it had smelled. Chris struggled with the vampire part of him for what seemed like forever and when his demon finally calmed down and was no longer rattling the bars of his cage Chris opened his eyes to see Jasper staring at him in concern.

"You okay?" asked Jasper.

"I'm fine," said Chris taking a deep breath and realizing the smell of all that tantalizing blood was no longer so close. "Where are we?"

"We are on the outskirts of the city again. When you closed your eyes it almost seemed as if you were asleep even though that should be impossible."

"How long did I have my eyes closed?"

"More than half an hour," said Jasper the concern evident in his eyes. "Where did you go when you closed your eyes?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Chris answered honestly. "It didn't seem to be that long to be honest. When I closed my eyes and stopped breathing I was involved in a battle with my inner demon who of course wanted to tear the car door off its hinges and drain every human in the area dry. I'm not exactly sure what I did in order to stop that part of me from following through or how I was able to resist long enough to do so."

"That you were able to do so at all is amazing, especially as young as you are," said Jasper pride shining in his red eyes and in his voice. "Any other vampire your age more than likely would not have been able to resist even if they'd thought about doing so and that you were able to subdue your inner demon like that is downright astonishing since you aren't even six months old."

"So are we going back into town or are we going to head home?" asked Chris feeling Jasper's pride admiration and love wash over him making him feel all warm on the inside as it had been a long time since anyone had felt pride in his accomplishments or loved him that strongly.

"How are you feeling? Are you ready to give yourself another test run or do you just want to head home?"

Chris thought about it for a few minutes then said, "I suppose we had better try again because if we go back to the house I might balk next time you want to try this. I guess it is kind of like riding a bike you have to get right back on if you fall off because if you don't you might never want to try again."

"That's a good comparison and one I never would have thought of as bikes weren't even invented the year I was born. It wasn't until after I became a vampire and had been one over twenty years that they were first made."

"Wow! I had no idea that bikes were invented in the late nineteen hundreds."

"They were but in any case prepare yourself for we are approaching a major population center."

Chris nodded looking apprehensive as Jasper put the windows down again and Chris took a deep breath and then waited for the same thing to happen that had happened before and he was not disappointed as the vampire part of him immediately started to salivate and demand to be let loose so it could feast not caring in the least if Chris felt guilty for the rest of his existence or for the fact that vampires would more than likely be discovered and therefore hunted down and destroyed.

Free me! Free me! His demon demanded inside his mind. You know you want to so why do you resist? Free me so we can feed on all those delicious humans with blood running in their veins. Let me go free and we will hunt down every one of those human scents and drain them dry, man, woman and child it matters not.

No! Chris cried out silently holding his breath again so that for the most part the scents of blood were cut off due to lack of air. That is not what I want. You will not break loose if I have any say in the matter. You will feed only on who I let you feed on and that will have to be enough.

Free me! his demon demanded again rattling the bars of his cage even more fiercely then before and it almost seemed that despite his best effects the demon part of Chris was going to break free and tear the door off the moving car to leap out of it and feed on every human in the vicinity.

Do you want to disappoint Sofia, Jasper and Bella? Chris asked his demon silently. Jasper who didn't have to be there that night and could have just let me and my sister die? Do you really want to go that route and disappoint the man who has gone out of his way to not only change us into his kind but gave us more than enough money to get started in this life and accept me and Sofia into his family? And do you want to disappoint the two people who love both me and my sister and who has always treated both of us with respect, friendship and love?"

Jasper would understand considering he has his own very bloody history, Chris's demon wheedled.

That's true, but you still don't want to disappoint the man that has done so much for both my sister and for me. Besides Jasper was changed in a different time and didn't know of another way of life but I do and I will not allow you to disappoint and make him sorry he ever changed me by feasting on an innocent.

The demon rattled the bars of his cage again as if testing the Chris's resolve but when Chris stood firm the demon sighed in defeat even though Chris knew that the vampire part of him would be testing him a lot over the next few years.

When Chris finally opened his eyes he discovered that they were still in the middle of the city traveling slowly, due to traffic

"How long did I have my eyes closed this time?" Chris asked Jasper.

"Not as long, only about twenty minutes or so," Jasper answered calmly. "You doing okay?"

"I'm fine. I believe I have finally the demon part of me to understand that I will not feed on an innocent."

"You realize of course that that part of you will probably be testing you a lot over the next few years just to see if you will give in," said Jasper looking at Chris for a few seconds.

"I know, but at the moment at least I have him under control but I could really use some blood as my throat is really starting to burn. It doesn't seem to matter that I just fed hours ago before we even tried this experiment."

"I'm not surprised," said Jasper after studying Chris carefully noticing that his eyes were indeed very dark from hunger and also he was radiating it as well. "I'm sure getting your demon to subside and not break the car door off it's hinges took a lot of energy and concentration. Our kind always needs to feed after a lot of physical activity depending on what it was and how much energy was used. I suppose in that way we are just like humans as they need to eat to after being involved in a lot of physical activity to."

"Except instead of blood humans eat actual food," Chris said smirking at Jasper's analogy even though he was right.

"Well yes that's true, but it's still the same concept as blood is food for our kind," said Jasper and then took his cell phone out of his pocket. "I'm going to call Bella and let her know we are going to be a little late so she and Sofia won't worry."

It was mostly for Sofia, Chris knew as Jasper made the call for he knew Bella was aware that Jasper could take care of himself for they had after all been married for over a hundred years. When Chris tried to get his head around the concept that both Jasper and Bella were so old it boggled the mind. Jasper was two hundred and sixty-eight years old even though he didn't look more than twenty-two or three at the most, if that and Bella definitely didn't look a hundred and nineteen years old. Jasper had explained some time ago that the age you were changed was the age you stayed for the rest of your existence no matter how long and short that might be, so in other words since he and Sofia had been changed at twenty that was the age they would stay.

"Now I wasn't going to do this until you had a better handle on your bloodlust but I am going to teach you how to hunt," Jasper explained as soon as he had finished talking to his wife, "as I don't think we have time for us to go back home drop you off and then me come back to get you a meal. In order to expedite things and to also make sure your thirst doesn't make you go off on your own and do something you'll regret I'm going to teach you to hunt up your own meal something I wouldn't normally do until you were at least a year old and past your newborn stage."

Chris gulped and nodded not sure that he was ready for this although he knew his instincts were supposed to take over. "You taught Bella how to hunt when she was just a few days old," Chris pointed out.

"That's true enough but in that case things were a little different as Bella and I were mated and when you are you tend to be focused on your mate and not on anything else. That is especially true if the mate bond is a young one and hasn't had a chance to mature. Yours and your sister's case is different since neither one of you is mated."

"I see," said Chris in understanding.

Jasper calmly turned the car down a side street and it wasn't long until they came to a very seedy part of town. "Now I want you to observe that alley," Jasper said as he pulled the car into a parking spot a little distance from where they were going to actually be feeding.

"Aren't you afraid of losing your wheels or even your car in this part of town?" asked Chris curiously trying to ignore the burning in his throat. Despite the fact that it was the twenty-second century there was still lots of crime and always would be as the human race just wasn't programed to behave themselves all the time and a lot of the time crime fighting agencies whether it was the police, the FBI or some other agency were ineffective in catching felons due either to lack of money, incompetence of the law enforcement involved or lack of enough people to do the job properly.

"It doesn't really matter if something does happen to the car," Jasper explained calmly as he and Chris exited the vehicle. "Cars can be replaced and we have plenty of money to do that. All cars mean for our kind is convenience as we are quite capable of getting around without them if we have to. We are faster on our own two feet then any car ever made. When you live life as we do on the edge of society you have to be prepared to abandon your possessions at any time in case some human figures out what you are and you have to leave the area in a hurry. I'm not denying that having a car is nice as you can carry more if you do have to leave the area but also cars can be tracked especially today with the now common homing device that is installed in all cars. Even if we were to disable the homing device, which is illegal by the way, they are still pretty easy to track."

Chris listened as Jasper talked and he started to admire Jasper even more then he already did. Here was a man that was willing to abandon all he owned in order to survive which wasn't a very common trait nowadays but Jasper was also a vampire so maybe he had had to learn how to be practical to survive for as long as he had. Of course they also lived outside of society and had no friends outside their own kind so Chris was sure that the government or anybody else had no idea they even existed. All Jasper and Bella or any vampire would be was a face on the street, unmemorable and forgettable except for the fact that they looked like gods and goddesses because of their beauty. Also Chris was sure that whatever property Jasper owned was not under his own name but an alias or even several aliases, ones that would be impossible to track by the government or anybody else as that person would not exist except on paper.

Jasper and Bella had been unusual in the fact that they had befriended two human college students or even in the fact that Bella had been going to college at all as Chris had come to learn that most of their kind simply didn't do that kind of thing either because they didn't care to or because they didn't have enough control over their bloodlust in order to do so. Jasper had said more than once that being around so many humans, especially packed together like sardines, like in a classroom, was absolutely torturous to stand for any length of time. That Bella had been able to do so and not drain the entire classroom dry was absolutely amazing as she was only a hundred years old and was still considered quite young in vampire years as Chris had discovered when Jasper told them stories about Bella's newborn year and how she had been very controlled from the beginning. Of course Bella had always been unusual and also had more exposure to humans then most vampires so maybe that accounted for fact as to why she had such good control.

In fact at least forty percent of their kind were nomads some traveling in groups or singularly living off the land and stealing whatever they needed or wanted from the humans they lived among according to Jasper and also a lot of those nomads were bullies and criminals willing to attack even one of their own kind or rape a female whether she was mated or not. About forty-five percent lived in covens for mutual protection and as for the last fifteen percent they were a lot like Jasper and Bella living quietly and mostly only going into town to feed or to shop always doing their best to blend in with the humans they hunted.

"You see that man?" asked Jasper so quietly that only another vampire could possibly have heard him, pointing at a man that was trying to appear casual as he came out of the rather seedy looking bar whistling appearing to be about to head home but then disappearing into the dead end alley that was beside the bar.

"That man was more than likely looking for some poor person to rob or to rape, probably both while he was inside the bar. I've seen this kind of gimmick hundreds of times over the years. Either a man or a woman will enter some sort of establishment, although it is usually a bar, case the joint and the people within it. Then later when whatever pigeon they marked comes out and they have to walk by the alley to get to their car."

"And then the criminal comes out of the alley far enough so he can hit his target over the head so he can be robbed," Chris guessed

"Sometimes," Jasper admitted, "but also some of the time it isn't simply robbery the criminal has in mind but also rape or even murder. There are various methods criminals have used over the years to get their targets attention in order to do them harm whether that is just a simple robbery or something more nefarious."

"So what are we going to do?" asked Chris curiously trying to ignore the intense burning in his throat as it was getting worse. He knew he had better feed in the next few minutes or he was going to attack someone whether they were a criminal or not.

"It's not we, it's I," Jasper told Chris. "I'll wait here for you here as you go and drain that man."

"But how?" asked Chris feeling unsure which was very unusual for him as he was usually a very confident person.

"Let your instincts take over and they will tell you what to do," Jasper instructed.

Chris obeyed as he knew Jasper knew what he was talking about and so ran across the street silently moving faster then the human eye or any kind of recording device could follow. To the human eyes all they would be able to see was a blur and only if they were looking directly at him and they wouldn't see him for more then a millisecond if that and then probably think they'd imagined it. Chris was on the man in less than a second and had him deeper and into the darkest part of the alley before the man even realized something was wrong. By the time the man started to scream Chris's hand was already over his mouth in order to muffle the sound and his teeth were already attached to the man's neck. As he started to suck on the man's neck all that delicious blood just flowed into his mouth although it was also rank with the aftertaste of whatever kind of liquor the man had been drinking in the bar earlier. When the man was drained dry, Chris felt much better although he was still a little thirsty which wasn't really surprising considering that he and his sister were used to feeding on three humans every time they had to feed which Jasper had explained was because new vampires needed more blood then older ones and that in a year or two, possibly three it would get to the point where they wouldn't need so much blood. Every vampire is different, Jasper had explained when he was asked, just like every human is different, which Chris supposed made sense since vampires had once been human after all.

"You done?" Jasper asked softly as he approached Chris after he had dropped the man he had drained to the ground.

"Yes, I'm done, but I'm still thirsty," said Chris.

"Which isn't surprising since you are used to three humans for every meal," said Jasper. "We'll have to see about getting you someone else to feed on after we get rid of the evidence."

"How do you get rid of the evidence in the city?" asked Chris curiously.

"Well since this is such a bad part of town it is really very simple as all you have to do is make it look like the man was mugged and then killed so you take his wallet and anything else valuable he was carrying and then use your fingernail like a knife and draw a long slash across his throat."

Chris listened in fascination as Jasper explained how to make someone just drained of blood look as if he had been mugged.

"This won't work every time of course as different environments call for different disposal methods. If you are out in the country for instance usually burying the body works best but I'll show you how to do that another time."

"What did you do with the bodies that Sofia and me have been feeding on the last few months?" asked Chris curiously. "I've been wanting to ask but never had the opportunity."

"Well years ago when those new, more effective incinerators for trash were invented Bella and I had one installed underground at each of our houses and we simply throw the bodies in there and they are burned up in minutes which means there is no evidence that can lead back to us. The good thing though is not only are the trash incinerators of today much quieter then the ones of the late twentieth century but they are much faster and more effective. The old incinerators could sometimes leave little bits of bone while these new ones on the other hand don't leave any kind of evidence at all except a small pile of very fine ash which is impossible to ever tell it was a human being."

"But weren't the humans who installed them curious as to why you wanted those trash incinerators installed?" asked Chris curiously.

"No not really as most rich families have them so they don't have to worry about putting a trash can on the street or about hearing the sounds of a garbage bot collecting it. They were a little curious as to why we wanted it underground but I simply told them that Bella didn't want such an eyesore defacing such a beautiful vista."

Chris snorted at that as he knew that Bella didn't really care about such things.

Jasper chuckled as well as he knew his mate very well and knew that while she didn't have anything against beautiful scenery she was also the very practical sort so if they had needed a trash incinerator aboveground then it wouldn't have bothered her in the slightest to have it there. "Yes well while you and me know that Bella doesn't really care about such things the men who installed it didn't and that satisfied their curiosity and also insured that they would say anything to anyone about as it would if they had left curious."

"Because sometimes curious people talk and that would have the potential of reaching the wrong kind of ears while noncurious folks aren't as likely to talk," said Chris

"Exactly," said Jasper pleased that Chris had understood so quickly. "Now that we've taken care of the evidence let's get out of here and find you another meal before we head home."

Chris nodded and the two men left the alley as silently as the had come.

Flashback

Three days later Jasper and Bella walked hand in hand down to the dungeon following Demetri.

"So is it your turn now?" asked Demetri with a smirk.

It was just yesterday that Jasper and Bella had arrived at Edward's cell to watch him being put back together and then as a live, bleeding human was brought into his cell. Edward had been unable to even move away from the scent of human blood as he was missing both his legs and arms. Emmett and Rose did good work, Bella admitted to herself, for Edward was not only missing both his legs and arms by one of his eyes had been scooped out and half his hair was also missing being replaced with scars all over that part of his skull. And to top it all off he had designs etched into his very flesh as if with a knife although the word asshole that Bella had carved onto his chest was still highly visibly. Half of one ear was also missing.

Jasper and Bella had stood near the cell door along with Emmett and Rosalie as Felix, who was the biggest amongst the guards being built like a football linebacker, was given the privilege of holding Edward down where he was lying on the dirt floor of the cell while Demetri carried the bleeding human over to him and forced the blood down his throat. His parts had been gathered beforehand and all put in their proper spots as Demetri had forced Edward to open his mouth and poured the blood from the bleeding human right into his mouth and then forced him to swallow. Edward of course had protested the operation doing his best to get away but could barely move with not only Felix holding him down by sitting on his chest but with his limbs missing.

"Your sister and brother do good work," said Demetri admiringly as they continued to walk towards the dungeon.

"We know," said Jasper also with a smirk. "Rose has always had a mean streak in her, you ought to get her to tell you sometime what she did to her former human fiance and his friends after she was changed. Normally though although she can be a bitch she also has a big heart and is very loyal to the people she loves. She loved both Carlisle and Esme very much even if she didn't show it very often and Alice was her sister and she loved her as well and as you can imagine when she found out they were truly dead and who was responsible, well...you get the idea."

Demetri smirked as he could just imagine how upset and furious Rose had been when she had discovered half her family was dead.

"As for Emmett, he is really one of the most fun loving, laidback, easygoing people I know, until his family is threatened and then in the place of the playful Emmett is that of a ferocious and angry bear ready to defend his family or get revenge on whoever hurt them, especially Rose and Bella."

"Even if Emmett knows we can take care of ourselves," Bella added as she smirked. "Ready for the fun to begin?" she added as they approached Edward's cell.

"Oh, yes," said Jasper his eyes going dark as he thought about all he wanted to do to Edward. "I've been wanting to get my hands on him for months ever since we discovered the house burning and you outside, so severely injured that if we hadn't gotten there within minutes you would be dead."

"Fuckwad did say that he didn't know I was living with you," Bella pointed out.

"I don't know if that is true or not as your scent should have been strong all over the house since you had been living with us for awhile and even if it is he still deserves what he is about to get. Rose and Emmett don't know as much about torture as I do considering my background. So I guarantee that by the time our 48 hours are up he is going to be begging for us to put him out his misery...permanently."

"Which we aren't going to grant," said Bella almost gleefully as she considered what Jasper was going to do to her former boyfriend, knowing how he thought especially when someone he loved was hurt.

"Oh no, we'll let Rose and Emmett have their turn and when it's our turn again..." Jasper trailed off but the other two vampires got the idea. "Demetri, did you get the stuff we asked for?"

"Yes," Demetri answered his respect for Jasper and Bella growing for most of their kind although they could be vicious did not torture one of their own, but the two of them along with their siblings seemed to take great pleasure in torturing their former brother instead of just putting him out of his misery. It wasn't that Cullen didn't deserve it, it was just that a lot of their kind weren't as controlled and would automatically tear whoever had hurt a member of their coven apart without pausing to think about prolonging the agony. Of course he knew that had a lot to do with their instincts so maybe since all four of the former Cullens had had plenty of time to cool down and think about what they wanted to do to Edward or fuckwad as Jasper and Bella often called him made the difference. Jasper did have a very violent past after all and the fact that he was not only still sane but could still love said a lot about how strong he was mentally as well as physically. "Unfortunately a lot of human invented torture deceives won't work on one of our kind but there are a few that will cause him unbearable pain even if they don't kill him like it would a human."

"You got the cattle prod and it's been rewired so that it has a much higher voltage then would be used on cattle?" asked Bella rubbing her hands gleefully together when Demetri nodded.

"Yes," Demetri answered, "Luckily Alec is very good at anything electrical and he had it rewired in no time at all. It is now much stronger and although it won't kill him it will be very, very painful."

"Good that's is just what I want," said Bella. "Tearing him apart or leaving scars on his skin just doesn't seem like enough of a punishment for all he's done so since he is a vampire with diamond hard skin both of us had to get creative."

"Oh yes, Bella spent quite a bit of time on the internet two days ago looking up methods of torture that would work on a vampire," Jasper smirked.

"Wikipedia had quite a few articles about all the devices of torture that humans have used over the centuries and there were a few that will work on someone like fuckwad, the cattle prod just being one of those."

"I got you a breaking wheel also known as the Catherine wheel, a rack except with metal cuffs instead of leather, thumbscrews, a birch rod, which would be better used on his open wounds if you want more of an effect since he is a vampire with diamond hard skin. There are several different kind of whips including a knout and what is known as a cat o' nine tails and also what was once known as a pear of anguish but is now known as a choke pear. There also is a big cauldron with boiling hot water all waiting for you. The water is so hot that if a human fell in it they would be instantly boiled alive but should do no more to him then cause him a great amount of pain especially if he has open wounds," said Demetri snickering. "You should have seen his face when we brought all those torture devices into his cell," he added snickering again. "He looked as if is was going to throw up if that was possible for one of our kind."

"Thank you Demetri, you're a sweetheart," Bella told him kissing his cheek in thanks.

"You're welcome," said Demetri who would have been blushing if he could have as Bella was a very gorgeous lady that was unfortunately already mated. "I'll leave you to it."

"Let's get to it, shall we?" Bella asked Jasper. "Times a wasting and all that."

"Let's get to it," Jasper agreed in an instant transforming from himself into his predator mode or what was better known as major mode. It wasn't something he allowed himself to be often as he tried to leave that part of his past in the past as sometimes it was hard to come back from it but now with Bella there it was a little easier as she was always sending him her support, love, lust and devotion in a constant endless stream which kept him centered and able to let that part of him out and also re-caged without to much trouble. Even while he was in major mode he always remembered that Bella was his mate and that he loved her so while he was letting that part of him run mostly free he was always careful and considerate of the woman he loved as he would never forgive himself if she was hurt by him while he was in this mode.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

The two of them entered the cell to find Edward sitting up against one wall, completely naked and a guard standing at the door at attention so that he would not try to escape.

"You can leave," Jasper ordered the guard. "We'll take care of it from here. You can send someone down in two days with a live human, so he can heal. Oh and send along someone who can force him to drink it as he won't do it willingly."

"Yes, sir," said the guard saluting and turning to leave as he had been ordered to do by the kings.

As soon as the door closed both Jasper and Bella turned to look at their former brother and in Bella's case former boyfriend.

"We'll let's get started shall we," said Bella heading over to the table that had been set up in the corner with the instruments that they had requested. "Hm what shall we start with?" she wondered aloud mostly for Edward's benefit.

"Bella, love you can't be serious. This isn't like you he has turned you into being just like him," Edward said pointing accusingly at Jasper.

"Correction, shithead," said Bella so angrily that Jasper was surprised that she didn't actually tear Edward apart right them and there, but after a couple of seconds she calmed down and turned around with the cattle prod in her hand. She stalked over to him and applied the cattle prod against the pulse point of his throat before pushing the button. Edward immediately jerked and then screamed so long and loud that she wouldn't be surprised if they could hear him all over the castle. "I'm not like the old Bella, who was a pushover and let you order her around. Everybody has their limits of bullshit they can take and I reached mine when I found out you had killed three people I loved. What makes it even worse is that they loved you to until you went to far and attacked me for no other reason then your pride was wounded because I broke up with you and so they threw you out. You thought the answer for that was to burn down the house trapping them inside instead of getting your head screwed on straight and coming back to apologize. I probably would have forgiven you for hitting me eventually but killing three people I considered family is one thing I am not going to forgive you for and makes you more a monster then we will ever be." Bella punctured each word with an electric shock from the cattle prod and Edward screamed and screamed and screamed until Bella finally turned to Jasper.

"Care to join in the fun?" Bella asked her mate with an absolutely wicked smirk, her eyes black as she had let her demon out to play. Jasper who had been keeping a mental eye on her emotions felt her rage when Edward called her love and felt it grow when Edward accused him of changing her personality. It wasn't like he cared what Edward thought of him but apparently had Bella taken it as a personal affront and insult when Edward pointed a finger at him accusingly. Instead of owning up to the fact that he was in his current situation because of his actions he pointed the finger at someone else trying to blame them instead of himself.

"Of course, darlin'," Jasper replied in a tone he only used when he let The Major out of his cage to play, which instantly turned Bella on. "I so love watching you torture him though," he added as he turned his gaze on his former brother and glared so furiously that Edward actually shrank back as far as he could, which wasn't very far as the wall was only inches behind where he was sitting.

"So I'll get more chances to torture him, so you can watch as we plan on keeping this up for who knows how long," said Bella giving Jasper or she supposed technically it was The Major, a gentle kiss on the lips which caused The Major to purr at the love and devotion his mate was sending him. She loved him and felt not one ounce of disgust at him or for what they were about to do to the prisoner. How he The Major, the violent part of a man known as Jasper Whitlock had gotten so lucky as to be mated to a woman who not only understood him but accepted him he didn't know but he also wasn't stupid enough to question it. Edward growled in what should have been a warning but Jasper simply broke the kiss and roared back so furiously that Edward shrank away and cowered against the wall, "but you also deserve to get your revenge on this piece of shit, not only for what he did, but for all the years you had to put up with constant nosy, judgmental, hatred of you," Bella continued ignoring Edward's growling completely while giving Jasper a glance of appreciation for defending her. "I know you've never said anything about how that kind of attitude affected you but I can tell that even though you really didn't care it still left unhealed mental wounds. Words can hurt and so can feelings and since you are an empath you've had to put up with his constant feelings of hatred for almost seven decades, not to mention his attitude. I want you to have closure over that part of your life so we can move on without all this mental baggage both of us have been carrying around."

"You're right," The Major acknowledged having never let himself feel the invisible wounds that Edward's hatred had left him with, but now that Bella mentioned it he felt those wounds reopen as they had only been partly closed. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity to close out that part of my life," The Major added sending her his appreciation for not only loving him but for letting him join in on the torturing on Edward Anthony Masen.

"You're more than welcome," Bella told him, brushing a strand of his blond hair tenderly out of his eyes and putting it behind his ear before moving aside so Jasper could get to him. "If anyone deserves to get revenge it is you for all you have had to put up with over the years."

Jasper came forward and picked Edward up placed him on the rack that was in the corner making sure to restrain his hands and feet with the metal cuffs as leather would not have held a vampire and even metal would not hold him for very long so he had better get started. He gave his mate a kiss putting his whole dead heart into it, not only because he loved her, but because he wanted to tick Edward off even more than he already was. Jasper and The Major both wanted to make Edward realize that Bella was no longer his and and hadn't been for a long time. Not that it mattered as Edward wouldn't be alive long enough to worry about it. Really it was just another form of torture for Edward as seeing the only girl he had ever loved go willingly into the arms of another man was bound to not only make him furious but a little crazy as well.

"Do you know that the rack was a torture device consisting of a rectangular, usually wooden frame, slightly raised from the ground, with a roller at one, or both, ends. At one end is a fixed bar to which the legs are fastened, while the other end has a movable bar to which the wrists are tied. The victim's ankles are then fastened to the other roller," The Major began his history lesson clinically as he put Edward on it and tightened the restraints.

"A handle and ratchet are attached to the top roller and are used to very gradually increase the tension on the chains, inducing excruciating pain. By means of pulleys and levers the roller can be rotated on its own axis, thus putting strain on the chains. The victim's joints will be dislocated and eventually separated the more the handle is turned. Additionally, if muscle fibers are stretched excessively, they lose their ability to contract, rendering them unusable but of course that doesn't apply to you since you are a vampire," The Major finished his lesson on history in the same tone of detachment. It was as though he was explaining the weather instead of a way to torture somebody and cause them excruciating pain which made Edward whimper and Bella to gaze at him admiringly with a small smirk playing on her lips, not at all bothered at what was about to happen to her former boyfriend. The fear and hopelessness that Jasper felt coming off Edward was an absolute delight and he found himself wanting to feel more. The Major part of his personality had always been into that kind of thing since at the time he had been changed he hadn't known any other way of life and in this case it wasn't just the demon who wanted to feel all of Edward's emotions of pain, loss, fear, helplessness and hopelessness but the man as well. In this instance and with his mate by his side supporting whatever he chose to do the demon and the man were in complete agreement which had never happened before. Jasper liked the feeling for it made him feel as though he had finally accepted his violent past and maybe he had but now was not the time to think about such things as they had a vampire to torture.

"Would you like to be the first to turn it darlin'?" asked Jasper politely The Major still looking out of his eyes.

"Why thank you for offering, major, you're such a gentlemen," Bella answered just as politely a wicked gleam in her black eyes. "I would be absolutely delighted to do that."

"Then it's all yours," said The Major as he moved aside so his mate could get to the handle. Bella moved into position and calmly with no expression on her face started to turn the handle slowly. At first Edward wasn't in much pain but then the handle got harder and harder to turn as the chains and pulleys tightened and lost their slack, so his limbs were stretched beyond their normal length and he began to whimper and then cry out as the pain became more and more unbearable. "Bella! Why are you doing this? Love this isn't you," Edward pleaded.

Bella gave the handle several more turns as a way of responding to Edward's statement and watched as he screamed and yelled and cried out dispassionately, until finally he was in such pain that his screams turned to whimpers. "I did not give you permission to say my name nor to call me love. I am not your love and I never was for I have come to realize that you never loved me. The man standing beside me shows me each and every day how much he loves me and treats me like an equal not an object," Bella told Edward furiously but also so coldly that Jasper was surprised that icicles didn't form on Edward's extremities. Bella gave the handle another couple of turns and when Edward was not only screaming but whimpering as his joints were almost if not quite dislocated she turned to her mate.

"Would you like to continue?" Bella asked Jasper politely as she observed Edward as he whimpered in pain with a dispassionate expression. Edward was almost twice his normal height now.

Jasper who had been observing his mate as she took great pleasure in turning the handle of the rack faster and faster until Edward was screaming in constant agony said, "Why thank you darlin', for giving me a chance to torture him a little."

"It's my pleasure," Bella assured him giving him a kiss in full view of their prisoner which made Edward growl and glare but Jasper roared in return and Edward fell silent except for his constant whimpers and screams of agony and misery.

Jasper turned the handle several times and Edward began screaming again as his arms and legs were finally dislocated completely and separated from his body with several sickening pops.

"Well, we'll have to try this again another day when he has his arms and legs reattached and go even faster," said The Major as he removed Edward's limbless body from the rack and put him on the table that was on the other side of the room. "Well what shall we do next?" The Major asked Bella politely leaving the decision up to her since he was the one to decide to use the rack.

"Hm," Bella considered as she looked over at the table that had all the instrument of torture on them. "It's a hard decision," she mused as she considered. "There's so much I want to do to him, you know?"

"We have plenty of time," The Major assured her. "We could keep this up for a year if we wanted in between other things that is. A year is nothing to a vampire after all."

He meant the missions for the Volturi, Bella knew but didn't want to say in front of Edward despite the fact that he was in no position to interfere even if he did know. Bella had of course had her shield up surrounding Jasper as soon as they entered the castle for she wasn't sure of Edward's mind reading range and didn't want him to be able to read Jasper's mind.

"Well have you ever heard the term skinning?" asked Bella finally with an evil smirk as she gazed at her former boyfriend with black eyes.

Edward gulped and whimpered as even he knew what that meant.

"Yes I believe I have," said The Major looking over at Edward letting him see how eager he was to get started. "It's also known as slow slicing or death of a thousand cuts and was originated in China in roughly 900 AD and was abolished in 1905."

"Hmm is that so, that's interesting," said Bella with an evil smirk as she gazed at the form of Edward Cullen. "Well since a knife won't work on him because of his diamond hard skin I suppose we'll just have to use our fingernails instead, won't we?" she added casually inspecting her fingernails as if it she was trying to decide what color of nail polish to use.

"Yes I believe we will," said Jasper as he and Bella approached the limbless form.

"Where shall we start?" asked Bella giving Jasper the right to make the first cut.

"Well, how about here," said Jasper as he slowly ran his fingernail down Edward's chest until a strip of skin about two inches long came loose. Jasper then pulled and Edward screamed even louder in pain then he had been before when Jasper was just making the cut.

"You're next, darlin'," said Jasper as he gave her the right to make the next cut.

"Hmm, where shall I cut," Bella mused considering while looking at what was left of Eddie's body. "Perhaps along that pretty face, you were always so proud of," she finally decided using her fingernail to slowly cut a piece of skin off his right cheek.

Edward screamed as Bella cut a long three inch strip of skin, making sure to cause him as much pain as possible. Edward screamed as she jerked the piece of skin where it was still attached to his face until it came loose causing him unbearable pain. "Why don't we take a few strips off his back?" Bella asked her mate who was still in major mode and would be until they finished with him and Rosalie and Emmett took over.

"Whatever you want, darlin'," said The Major grabbing Edward's side and pushing him over until he was on his back.

Bella slowly made a cut on one side of Edward's back while Jasper did the same on the other side and when they were done both jerked the pieces of skin upwards at the same time causing Edward to scream and start blubbering like a baby. Although he couldn't actually cry he could dry sob and his chest could heave as if he was having trouble breathing even though he didn't technically need to breathe. "Mercy!" Edward begged his breath coming in great gasps.

"There's no point in asking for mercy for neither of us has an ounce of pity or mercy in our souls for you," The Major told him looking at his mate who nodded telling him without words that she agreed. Jasper also checked her emotions but all he felt was anger, determination, loathing, disgust and indifference directed at the blubbering boy laying on the table and what he also felt and had been feeling since they had entered this cell was her constant love and devotion for him but not an ounce of disgust with what they were doing to fuckwad.

What a woman! The Major exalted. How did I get so lucky? She accepts me for who I am and doesn't try to change me. She not only accepts the man in me but the demon as well and is even willing to let her own demon loose when she sees an injustice. I don't know how I got to be so blessed but I will never take her for granted and anything she wants it's hers without question.

"And don't give me that crap that we don't have souls," Bella added jerking Jasper out of his thoughts. "Vampires are no different from humans. Some are good, some are bad, but we know the difference between right and wrong, we can love, show affection and tenderness. If we were just monsters and didn't have souls we would not feel any of these things and would just go about causing death and destruction wherever we traveled. Instead we can learn, feel happiness, anger, sadness, joy, peace, longing, loss, love, anything that a human can feel and if we can feel these things then we cannot be monsters."

Edward blubbered and cried begging for mercy as Bella tore off another strip of his skin Jasper doing the same. It wasn't long before Edward's back was a crisscross of areas where the skin had been stripped away. There were areas where the healthy, untouched skin remained while in between were the raw, oozing venom, skinless spots which far outnumbered the healthy areas.

"Hmm," said Bella musingly looking at the piece of skin she held in her hands. "You know I think it's time to change tactics."

"What did you have in mind?" asked The Major in anticipation at whatever idea his mate had for the further torture of the blubbering and whimpering boy laying on the table between the two of them.

"Well, I was thinking that we could spit venom onto his open wounds and then when he's screaming in pain, to make it worse I could take that cat o' nine tails and you could take the knout and we could flog him like they do to humans in the movies. If it's painful to humans who don't have the skin stripped off their backs first imagine the kind of pain it will cause a vampire since we've stripped more then half of his skin off?"

"Have I ever told you you're a genius and I love you," said The Major sending her is admiration.

"Thank you for the compliment and I love you to," Bella told him blowing him a kiss from where she was standing across from him.

Jasper and Bella both gazed down at what was left of Eddie and almost as one spit venom onto his back where it bubbled causing him to scream out in even more agony then before. Bella then walked over to where all the implements of torture were laying just waiting to be used and picked up the cat o' nine tails and the knout before walking back over to where Jasper was and handing him his whip.

"Well, shall we begin?" asked Bella looking directly into her mate's eyes as she spoke letting her gaze speak for her willingness, not to mention eagerness to continue.

"We shall," answered The Major not turning away from his mate's gaze which drew him in like no other ever had before.

"Did you know that the term cat o' nine tails first appears in 1695, although the design is much older. It was probably so called in reference to its "claws", which inflict parallel wounds. There are equivalent terms in many languages, usually strictly translating, and also some analogous terms referring to a similar instrument's number of tails either made of cord or leather, such as the Dutch zevenstaart which means seven tails, or negenstaart which means nine tails." Bella gave her lecture as she used the whip on Edward's raw and oozing back causing him to holler.

"And what about this? You called it a knout, right?" asked The Major as he admired the whip.

"That's right," said Bella, "The knout is a heavy scourge-like multiple whip, usually made of a bunch of rawhide thongs attached to a long handle, sometimes with metal wire or hooks incorporated. The English word stems from a spelling-pronunciation of a French translation of the Russian word khyt or knut, which simply means "whip".

"Some claim it was a Tatar invention and was introduced into Russia in the 15th century, perhaps by Grand Duke Ivan III, The Great in 1462. Others people trace the word to the Varangians and derive it from the Swedish word knutpiska, a kind of whip with knots. Still others maintain it is of generic Germanic origin, not necessarily Scandinavian, comparing it with the German Knute or Dutch knoet as both mean knout or with Old Norse knut or Anglo-Saxon cnotta." As Bella told what she had learned on Wikipedia, she and Jasper kept whipping Edward's back in constant motions as there was no need to stop since they didn't get tired or their arms didn't start to ache or hurt.

"Well isn't that interesting," said The Major sounding as if he genuinely enjoyed what he had learned.

"What can I say except that Wikipedia is full of information. You can find almost anything on it."

While the two of them talked they kept up the whipping and Edward let out constant screams, whimpers and even a few curse words. When they finally stopped more then an hour later there was very little skin remaining on Edward's back at all as it had been mostly stripped away due to the venom and the constant barrage of whipping.

"I believe it is time to dump him in the boiling water before it gets cold," The Major suggested as he observed the still bubbling metal tub over in one corner. The tub which was big enough for a body had what looked like a gas powered stove underneath so that the water stayed hot.

"All right," Bella agreed picking Edward up not bothering to be careful of his wounds or the venom and went over to the corner where the tub was and dumped Edward in without ceremony. "Although I don't believe it will got cold with that gas powered stove underneath."

"Ahhhhhhhh, ccccccccrrrrrrruuuuuuuuddddd dddd, ddddddaaaaammmmmmmnnnnnnn, cccccccccchhhhhhrrrrrrriiiii isssssttttt ffffffuuuuccccckkkkk, cccccccrrrrrraaaaaapppppp, ssssssshhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiitttt tttttt!" Edward screeched as the boiling water hit every single one of his wounds all at the same time. Bella and Jasper listened as Edward cursed up a storm using words neither had realized that he had even known.

"Well that's a surprise," said Bella calmly without an ounce of remorse in her voice or her emotions, "Who knew he knew so many curse words?"

"Oh he was bound to know them as he can read minds, remember and I don't doubt the youth of today curse in their thoughts even if some of them don't do it out loud," The Major observed after thinking about it for a few seconds.

"Well shall we take him out and continue the torture?" asked Bella.

"Perhaps we can use that device you put in the mouth, what did Demetri call it?" asked The Major.

"A choke pear. It is supposed to prevent a person from talking or screaming," said Bella. "A stupid name I know but as long as it does the trick who cares? I am tired of hearing his screams, whimpers and pleas for mercy and I'm sure everyone else in the castle is to."

"Are you getting tired of torturing him darlin'?" asked The Major, trying not to sound disappointed.

"Oh no, I'm not tired of torturing old Eddie," Bella assured her mate, "I'm just tired of his screams that's all."

"Good," said The Major very pleased with his mate's response. He supposed Edward's screams would get on anyone's last nerve especially when like them you had super sensitive hearing. She was truly his equal in every way.

"Well shall we get back to business?" asked Bella.

"We shall, but we had better hurry for our two days are up in just over six hours," said The Major.

"Has it been that long already?" asked Bella truly surprised looking at her watch.

"Well you know what they say, time flies when you are having fun," said The Major teasingly becoming Jasper for just a moment.

"Yes, that is what they say," agreed Bella standing on her tiptoes to give The Major a kiss on the lips. "We'd better get to it then," said Bella. "After we finish though I need to feed as keeping my shield up for so long so old Eddie can't read your thoughts is a bit of a drain."

"Are you sure you will be okay?" asked The Major instantly concerned for his mate's well being.

"I'll be just fine," Bella assured him with a wink. "I'll just need to feed right afterwards is all."

Jasper checked his mate's emotions but didn't feel any deceit so he nodded and said, "Very well then let's get back to torturing fuckwad, shall we?"

"We shall," said Bella letting her mate pull Edward out of the boiling water only to place him back on the table. Edward whimpered knowing what was coming and began to wonder when it was ever going to end.

Bella took the choke pear off the table and carried it back over to where Jasper was standing.

"Could you kindly hold open his mouth for me?" asked Bella of Jasper sweetly.

"Of course darlin'," said The Major as he forced Edward's jaw open and held it like that while Bella inserted the choke pear into Eddie's mouth. "You can let go now."

Jasper let go and Bella calmly turned the key that made the device expand and it sprang apart so that the four spoonlike segments were pressing against Edward's cheeks and tongue forcing him to keep his mouth open. He could breath and the two of them could still hear him whimpering a little but his screams were cut off very effectively.

"Well what do you know it works," said Bella in astonishment. "Did you know that the choke pear or pear of anguish, is the modern name for a type of instrument displayed in some museums, consisting of a metal body, usually pear-shaped, which is how it got its name, divided into spoonlike segments that can be spread apart by turning a screw or key. The museum descriptions and some recent sources assert that the devices were used either as a gag, to prevent people from speaking, or as an instrument of torture. The instrument is inserted into the victim's mouth, and then the spoonlike segments are slowly spread apart as the screw or key is turned."

"Well that's very interesting," said The Major.

"I thought so," said Bella smirking while looking directly into Edward's eyes that were now an orangery red from the human blood that had been forced down his throat earlier as they wouldn't go all red until he had been on the human diet for at least three months. If he was even alive in three months that is. Edward's eyes were already starting to darken because of pain, helplessness, anguish, anger, hopelessness, desperation but some of the orangery red could still be seen.

"You brought this on yourself, you know," Bella told him quietly without an ounce of mercy or remorse in her voice. "If you had simply moved on when I broke up with you then none of this would be necessary now."

Edward couldn't respond but he looked at Bella and the loss in his eyes was devastating to witness and if she had cared about her former boyfriend at all she might have felt sorry for him.

"What shall we do next?" asked The Major when Bella stood back up.

"Your choice," said Bella giving over the decision of what to do next to her mate.

"What about the about using the birch rod on his back?" The Major suggested. "It should cause him quite a bit of pain as he now has so little skin on it thanks to our earlier treatment with the cat o' nine tails and the knout."

"That sounds good," said Bella approvingly and Jasper walked over to the table and picked up the birch rod while Bella picked up the cattle prod.

Jasper flipped Edward onto his back again and began to use the birch rod not only on his back but his buttocks as well. While Jasper was doing that Bella took the cattle prod and stuck it right at the pulse point of his throat just like she had done when they had first started the torture and she pushed the button then watched dispassionately and without expression as Edward jumped from the pain but thanks to the choke pear no more then quiet whimpering sounds escaped his mouth.

Jasper meanwhile kept up the caning, striking Edward's damaged back again and again causing Edward to keep whimpering even though it was obvious that if he could have he would have been screaming in agony. Even though Edward couldn't scream Jasper could still feel the agony and anguish that just radiated off him and it pleased the demon part of him no end that fuckwad was in such immense pain. Even the man that went by the name of Jasper was pleased for he knew that his former brother deserved everything that was happening to him and more.

Finally the birch rod broke from the force of the blows and The Major looked disappointed. "Well that the end of the birch rod," The Major said with a regretful sigh as he threw the pieces over into a corner.

"I'm sure we can get you another one," Bella told him coming over to put her arms lovingly around him.

"That's okay," said The Major putting his arms around her small form and hugging her to him while gently kissing the top of her head again thankful that she was his for all eternity and that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Thank god for small favors, The Major thought gratefully. "I have other plans for him when it's our turn again in three days."

"Oh what's that?" asked Bella, curiously looking up from where she had her head buried in Jasper's chest simply breathing in his scent which she couldn't ever seem to get enough of as to her anyway he smelled absolutely fantastic, like chocolate, leather, grass, and the woods in spring.

Jasper who had his arms around her gave her a hug and promised, "I'll tell you later, after we get out of here. I don't want to ruin the surprise." It went unsaid that it wasn't her he was keeping the information from but from fuckwad.

"Okay," said Bella again burying her head into Jasper's chest.

"You okay?" asked The Major in concern as he surveyed his mate worriedly.

"I'm fine, I'm just ready for a break is all," said Bella. "Don't get me wrong I've enjoyed every second of the last two days but I just want some you and me time and also time with Rose, Emmett, Peter and Char that's all."

Jasper nodded and slowly but surely The Major retreated into where he was kept when he was not in use and the Jasper that Bella knew and loved took control again.

"Welcome back," Bella told Jasper quietly as she had immediately noticed the transformation. When Jasper was his alter ego his stance was different, more military straight and commanding. When he was just her Jasper he tended to slouch a little. Also you could always tell what mode he was in by the eyes and by the way he talked.

"Thanks," said Jasper his voice now back to normal. "The guard should be here any minute with a human for Edward to feed on." Jasper then looked over at his former sibling and added, "We sure did him a lot of damage didn't we?"

"Yep, we sure did," said Bella.

"Are you sure you don't regret it?" asked Jasper as he looked into Bella's eyes which had returned to their normal red hue although they were starting to darken with hunger.

"I'm sure," Bella assured him. "You can feel my emotions and you know I don't, not in the least. I wouldn't want to do this kind of thing every day, but occasionally when someone really deserves it then no I don't feel the least guilty."

"Good," said Jasper after a moment and after he had checked her emotions.

They were silent for a few minutes and then they both heard several sets of footsteps approaching the cell. The cell door opened not a minute later and Demetri stuck his head in. "All done?"

"For now," said Jasper with an evil smirk. "We still have plans for him but we ran out of time."

"Well the screams could be heard all over the castle for most of the last two days and they when they suddenly went silent we were a little worried.

"Sorry to worry you, Demetri but I eventually got tired of his screaming as it was starting to irritate me and hurt my sensitive hearing so we used the choked pear which worked liked a charm," said Bella. "It's still in his mouth if you want to just leave there so he can't scream as he heals."

"I figured it was something like that and I told Jane and Heidi the same thing when they wanted to come down here and make sure you two were alright."  
"As much as we enjoy talking to you Demetri, Bella needs to hunt as she's been maintaining her shield all this time so Eddie couldn't read my thoughts and it is draining to keep it up for so long."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Demetri now noticing that Bella's eyes were starting to get very dark with just a hint of red showing.

"It's fine," said Bella with a wave of dismissal.

"Anyway I brought a human for our prisoner to feed on but with all the damage you did he might need two."

"If you are looking for his arms and legs they are over there still attached to the rack," said Jasper, "and as for his missing pieces of skin I put them in a pile over there on the table."

"How did you skin him like that?" asked Felix curiously coming in to the room carrying a unconscious human.

"Well we knew a knife would just break on his diamond hard skin so we used our fingernails as it is the only thing that will work on vampire skin."

"Hmm," said Felix as he carried the human over to Edward and laid him on the floor as he began to gather all of Edward's limbs and bits of skin so he could be reassembled to be tortured again in a day's time. "I never thought about the fact that only another of our kind could cause damage to one of us. It is something to consider for future reference."

"We really must be going," said Jasper as he could feel his mate getting hungrier by the minute.

"How do we remove the choked pear so we can force feed him the blood?" asked Felix as he looked at Edward with a smirk.

"Just turn the key until the prongs retract," said Bella with a smirk. "Just do me a favor and don't get rid of it as I plan on using it again and again."

"It will be here waiting for you," Demetri promised as he watched the two of them walk out the door.

End Flashback

"So how did it go?" asked Sofia as soon as Chris and Jasper walked in the door of their house on the outskirts of Philadelphia.

"I'll tell you all about it if you just let me get cleaned up first," Chris promised his sister looking troubled. "I'm in need of a nice, hot shower and some clean clothes."

"Since when did you care about such things?" Sofia teased her brother.

"Since I feel like I've been through the wringer and bathed in sewage," Chris told her shortly heading upstairs not bothering to wait for his sister's response.

"What happened out there?" Sofia asked Jasper looking worried.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Jasper assured Sofia giving her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Your brother has just discovered what being a vampire is really like as I took him on his first hunt and while that can be thrilling it can also be a rather eye opening experience."

"That's the truth," said Bella as she came downstairs and straight into Jasper's arms where he immediately hugged her close to him giving her a passionate kiss.

As soon as they broke apart Bella left Jasper's arms making him groan in protest and led Sofia over to the couch. "Sometimes even if you know vampire's exist beforehand you can come to the realization of what you have become."

"But Chris and I already know what we are," Sofia protested.

"In your head yes, but not in your heart. The head and the heart are two separate things and sometimes it takes your heart a longer time to realize something then your head. Your heart makes decisions based on emotions and is what makes you capable of loving and caring about someone while your head where your brain is, is the intelligent part of you and is where you are able to think, be logical and unemotional. It doesn't let emotions get in the way of logical thinking."

"So you are saying that in our heads we knew that vampires were real and also that we accepted that we were also your kind but that our hearts hadn't had time to catch up."

"That's it," Bella said approvingly giving Sofia a little hug.

"So Chris's heart has just caught up with his head," Sofia finished.

"Exactly," said Bella. "I remember when I first became a vampire and Jasper took me on my first hunt and I went through the same thing that Chris is going through now. Sure I had known for over year that vampires were real and sure I knew I was going to eventually become one but as you now know, knowing something in your head is different from knowing it in your heart of hearts. Chris just needs time to process all the emotions that he has just experienced for your emotions as a vampire are much more intense then they would be if you were still human. I believe Chris has realized that he is no longer fully human and that he is now a predator. I'm not saying that humans don't have instincts but a human's instincts are very weak compared to a vampire's. In a way we are like one of those jungle cats whose senses are a hundred times sharper then any mere human's."

"Hunting which means actually tracking and then killing your prey is very different from what you've been doing so far. Sure you've killed humans in order to feed but you didn't actually track them down yourself as they were brought to you," said Jasper as he came downstairs with his hair wet from his shower and in fresh clothes. "The emotions tend to be very intense the first time you hunt your own prey and you finally realize that you are now a predator, top of the food chain if you will. We are far more dangerous then any other predator whether it be lions or tigers or cougars or bears as unlike them very little can actually harm us." Jasper sat down on the other side of Sofia and gave her a little hug and kissed her cheek and added, "Don't worry we'll help your brother sort through the emotions it if he needs us to and you too when you go through it."

Sofia nodded finally understanding why Chris had been so short with her. She had she supposed kind of gotten in his face when she should have been more patient and simply waited until Chris was ready and came to her just like he always did, eventually. She would be more patient in the future and not badger her brother until he was ready to talk, Sofia promised herself

"I'll go upstairs and talk to him and try to get him to see that he did nothing wrong," said Jasper rising from his place on the love seat beside his wife. "And at least he has someone to help him through the emotions that hunting for the first time often brings unlike me. I didn't have anyone to help me understand why my emotions were so intense and why even while I was serving Maria I felt guilty for killing humans in order to feed. It took me years to realize the reason why I felt so guilty because I didn't have anyone to help me through it for asking Maria who didn't care about anybody but herself was out of the question as she just would have thought I was crazy for feeling guilty at all."

Jasper left the living room and headed upstairs to Chris's room to see if he could help his new son sort out his emotions so that at least they were less intense.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Jasper knocked on the door to Chris's room. "Who is it?"

"It's Jasper, can I come in?"

"Of course," Chris answered sounding depressed.

Jasper entered the room to find Chris laying on the couch that was in the room instead of a bed. "I came up here to see how you were doing," said Jasper, "and don't tell me you are doing alright because I can feel that you are not."

"It's just that..." Chris tried to put his feelings into words but was having trouble articulating them.

"You feel like a murderer, like you took those peoples lives just so you could live," Jasper suggested. "You have come to realize that vampires are predators and top of the food chain. I imagine that when you were human you would never have even thought about harming one of your own kind."

"That's it exactly," said Chris surprised that Jasper could decipher his feelings so well although he supposed he shouldn't be since he was an empath with more than two and a half centuries of experience of feeling other peoples emotions.

"All vampires eventually go through what you are feeling or at least the ones who were decent humans before they were changed do," Jasper said. "I did and unlike you or Bella I didn't have anybody to help me through it. I had to come to the conclusion on my own that I was not evil for needing to eat and I couldn't help it if my source of food was blood. It was not my choice to be what I am and from what I can remember of my life before I was changed I was a decent human being and didn't go out of my way to cause harm to others. Going to my creator about my guilty feelings would have done no good as Maria didn't see anything wrong with killing humans. Even after I escaped from Maria it took a long time for me to come to the realization that I was not evil for draining the blood of humans just because I needed to eat and in fact it wasn't until Bella set me straight that I realized that I could feed off the scum of society and not feel like a murderer every time I just grabbed an innocent person and fed."

"How did you ever stop feeling so guilty?" asked Chris curious with hope in his voice.

"Well after Bella and I had that conversation, and she was still human at the time by the way, I came to realize that she was right and I could probably feed off criminals and not feel the guilt for ending their lives the way I did when I fed off someone innocent. There are a lot of evil people in the world, ones who take advantage of children, ones who run scams that rob older people of their life savings or ones who will rape and murder just because they can. In my book those types of humans that hurt other people deserve what they get and yes I know they are humans with souls and therefore have a chance at redemption but most of them never take the chance to give up their criminal careers and reform. In any case it took me a long time to stop feeling guilty for having killed so many humans over the years not just to eat but also turning hundreds of people into newborn vampires who were then either killed in battle or were killed by me after their newborn strength waned. I came to eventually realize that it was hardly my fault for at the time it was all I knew and that it all that blood was really on my creator's hands for she was the one that craved power and the one who was to blame for turning so many humans into vampires just so they could fight for her to gain feeding grounds. After I came along I was the one that turned humans into newborns for her but it was still on her orders and at the time I didn't know any different. One of the things about the transformation into a vampire is that most newborns lose most of their human memories during their first year especially if their change was particularly horrific, like if they had been tortured or raped and then changed."

Chris winced at that but didn't say anything as Jasper continued, "My change was about normal as I had not been tortured beforehand, nor was I even injured but on the other hand unlike you, your sister and Bella I didn't have a very stable environment in which to get used to being a vampire, as Maria didn't really care about providing that kind of thing and in fact she encouraged chaos as as she didn't want any of her 'soldiers' to get along with each other as she felt that they might someday overthrow her if they learned how to cooperate."

"Your creator sounds like a real bitch," said Chris.

"Oh she was and probably still is, make no mistake about that," said Jasper.

"Your creator is still alive then?" asked Chris curiously.

"As far as I know yes, although I suppose it is possible that somebody found a way to get rid of her by now. If she is still alive I expect she'll come back for me some day for other then Peter and Char I am the only one to ever escape from her clutches and Maria never takes that kind of thing lightly."

"And that kind of thing doesn't worry you?" asked Chris.

"When I first escaped with Peter and Charlotte I kept looking over my shoulder for a long time and did in fact until I met Alice in that diner in Philadelphia but I finally decided that whatever happened I was going to live my life and not worry if my past eventually caught up with me. Besides as long as Maria doesn't think about creating an army of newborns I am more than capable of handling her as she is just a parasite with no fighting skills. Also Bella has been wanting a piece of her ever since I told her of my past and like me she has been trained to fight.

"And if she does have a newborn army?" asked Chris curiously.

"Bella and I have plenty of friends including the Volturi that would be more than happy to help us get rid of her as our rulers have been trying to catch her for over a hundred years for numerous crimes but she is a very slippery character. Besides one thing you probably don't know is that most newborns are very volatile since most are changed under rather violent circumstances and have no idea what is happening to them. My point is that if Maria does go that route she would have to attack quickly or she will lose half her newborns as they will kill each other off. Also Maria won't dare change more than ten humans or so since anymore then that would be impossible to handle especially if it is just her and she doesn't have a second in command that is past the newborn stage to help her with controlling them."

Chris listened in fascination his depression forgotten for the moment.

"So are you feeling better?" asked Jasper after they had talked for a few more minutes.

"A little," said Chris. "I still have a few things I need to work through."

"That's understandable," said Jasper patting Chris on the shoulder.

"You know the thing that scares me the most?" said Chris.

"What?" asked Jasper suspecting that he already knew the answer.

"That I enjoyed hunting and torturing those men and also draining them dry. I'm wondering if I would have enjoyed doing something like that if I was still human and not knowing if that kind of thing was already a part of me or if being a vampire is what caused me to get such enjoyment out of it is what scares me the most."

"Chris, humans are animals just like vampires and some humans take advantage of others and yes some humans enjoy hunting others of their kind just for the sport of it. What you did in tracking those men and draining them dry was already a part of you just like it is a part of all humans, even if 90 percent of them never act on it. Sure if you were still human you wouldn't have drank their blood but you probably would have found some way to get them off the streets whether that was calling the police or handling it yourself because you like me were basically a good person as a human who cannot stand to see others, especially children hurt like that. Those men were going to rape that girl and it matters not one iota that one of them was the girl's father and in fact in some ways that makes it worse for no father should be willing to do that to his own flesh and blood and that he was is just demented and sick. You saved that little girl, who couldn't have been more than three or four from a fate worse than death and that is the violation of her prepubescent body. Even if you had called the police they might not have gotten there in time for them to stop what was happening or even soon enough to catch the men. If not for you that girl might well be dead and even if she lived she would have nightmares about what happened even if she didn't understand it or why it happened. As it is she will probably still have nightmares as she saw the aftermath of what we did to those men even if she never saw the actual torture."

"You're right," Chris agreed finally starting to feel much better about what had happened after thinking about it for a few minutes his new vampire brain working much faster then his old human one could have hoped to. "People like that need to be taken care of and since the police can't catch everybody..."

"Exactly," said Jasper proudly. "I see you are feeling much better."

"Yes, yes, I am," said Chris.

"Well since you are don't you think you should go and see your sister who is very worried about you."

"Yes and I really should apologize for snapping at her earlier."

"She understands why you did as Bella explained it to her but an apology would still be welcome I'm sure," said Jasper.

Chris nodded and got up off the couch to follow Jasper out the door and downstairs to see his sister and Bella.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

When Chris came down more than an hour later he appeared much calmer and less troubled then he had when he had come into the house.

"You okay?" asked Bella speaking before Sofia could.

"Yes," said Chris calmly sitting on the couch beside his sister who immediately hugged him. "I'm sorry I snapped at you," he added returning his twin's hug.

"It's okay, you're forgiven," said Sofia relieved that Chris seemed to be feeling better. "So are you going to tell us what had you so upset?" she added after a moment.

Chris sighed and ran a hand through his black curly hair. "It was when Jasper took me hunting because I was thirsty, it didn't seem to matter that I had just eaten hours ago before we had had even headed into the city to test my control. I drained one man who was in an alley beside this bar waiting for somebody to come out so he could mug and rob him but that didn't bother me so much as I didn't actually hunt him through the streets and it wasn't really any different then having a meal brought to me. It was after that when I needed another meal in order to feel full that made me feel so depressed."

"So what happened?" asked so Sofia.

"Well..." Chris began his eyes going black with rage as he remembered what had occurred.

Flashback

"So where are we headed now?" asked Chris trying to ignore the burning in his throat as even though it was a lot better and more in control thanks to him draining that man he still needed another human to drain so the searing in his throat would finally cease.

"Well since I can't take you into a bar or some place like it where it would be a lot easier to find a meal for you because your control is not that good I thought that we could just cruise this section of town and keep our eyes peeled. We are in a very poor and bad section of town after all and bad things happen more out in the open in this kind of environment then it does in a better section of the city and since our eyes are much sharper then a human's we'll be able to spot things that they wouldn't."

"And if we don't?" asked Chris.

"Then I'll leave you in the car and go into a bar that is a known hangout for every sort of criminal and lure someone out into an alley so you can feed."

"I can't wait until I am able to go around so many humans and hunt up my own dinner," said Chris rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"That will be at least another six months maybe more before you can do that," Jasper warned him.

"I know, but I'm still looking forward to it," said Chris looking eager.

Jasper didn't say anything but knew the time was coming when Chris would go on his first hunt and then after he had fed feel like a murderer. When one of their kind hunted especially for the first time after their newborn stage the experience was always very intense and the emotions afterwards were different for everyone of their kind but he suspected that Chris would not only feel guilty for taking a human life but for enjoying it and would more than likely began to wonder if he would have been able to hurt another human being like he had just done if he was still one of them. Jasper remembered when Bella had gone through after she had killed off those three kidnappers all those years ago and although he had been expecting it to happen eventually he had still been caught by surprise because it hadn't happened right afterwards but a couple of days later after Bella had had time to think. When it had happened he had been able to help his mate through the rather intense emotions that usually came the first time you hunted like that and he would do the same for Chris when and if it happened. Technically he knew that Chris and Sofia were both newborns just like Bella had been when it had happened to her but the twins were also more cognizant again just like Bella than most newborns so they were going to go through that particular stage earlier. Most vampires went through that stage eventually, well they did if they were good people when they were changed and had someone to guide them.

Jasper drove slowly through the streets of the bad section of Philadelphia keeping an eye out for anything suspicious and knew Chris was doing the same. Jasper could feel the hunger radiating off Chris without any trouble at all and knew that they needed to find him another meal and quickly before Chris lost control of his demon and they had more trouble then they needed on their hands. He should have foreseen this possibility and yet he hadn't even thought of it, Jasper thought figuratively kicking himself for not even thinking this could happen. He knew that if his wife was here she would point out that he wasn't perfect and it had been a hundred years since he had changed a human into a vampire. He couldn't think of everything after all.

Jasper was jerked out of his thoughts when he spotted a man carrying a little girl in his arms and not only the way he held her but his emotions made him growl lowly.

"What's the matter?" asked Chris surprised at Jasper's growl.

"You see that man carrying that little girl?"

"Yeah, so what?" said Chris as he instantly spotted whom Jasper was talking about.

"Observe how he's holding her and listen to their heartbeats which should tell you right away that something is wrong. The girl's heartbeat is beating like a drum which means either that she is scared or very excited but considering how the man is holding her I think we can mark out excited. Also if you notice the way that she is laying in his arms, he isn't holding her like he cares about her at all but like she is a possession to be used and then discarded. I can feel both their emotions and the girl is very scared, so scared in fact that she is afraid to even let the man know she is awake."

"Now that you mention it I can see you are right," said Chris as he took note of what Jasper had said except for the girl's emotions which he couldn't feel them since he wasn't an empath but he could hear how her heart was beating frantically as if wanting to come out of her chest completely. Also Jasper was right the man, whoever he was, was holding her like he didn't care about her one iota, for Chris could see with his enhanced vision how tightly the man was gripping her small body, which was hard enough to leave bruises where his hands were.

"So shall we follow him?" asked Chris. "You're right that, that man is up to no good for why else would he be carrying that child like some kind of package? The girl can't be more than three, maybe four at most and I hate to think what that man is actually going to do with her. Is he taking her somewhere to kill her? Or does he have another plan in mind."

"The man's emotions are a little nervous, but mostly they are full of hate and anger, whether that is hate and anger for that child or for someone else I don't now since I can't read minds like that former brother of mine. I can however draw from experience and I've been around a long time."

"Yes you can just by the man's posture and the way he is walking that he is furious about something," Chris agreed as he observed how the man walked quickly with short angry strides as he sat in the car.

"Well let's see where he is heading," Jasper suggested as he exited the car, Chris following.

"Oh and by the way make sure you hold your breath until we get where we are going," he added. "I know there aren't many people out this late in this part of town but that doesn't mean there aren't some and I wouldn't want to to kill someone innocent on accident."

Chris looked at his watch and noticed it was close to midnight and since they had left the house around seven just as it had been getting fully dark that meant that they had been gone for five hours. It didn't seem like that long and he sincerely hoped that Sofia wasn't to worried about him despite the fact that Jasper had called home to let Bella and Sofia know that they were going to be late getting back.

The two vampires followed the man for several blocks until he turned into the driveway of what looked like an old abandoned house as the building was in very poor shape. With their excellent eyesight both men saw that part of the roof was caved in, there was trash littering the front yard, the paint was peeling rather badly and most of the shutters that covered the windows were either missing entirely or hanging half off their hinges.

Once Jasper was sure that the man was gone both he and Chris entered the house but instead of using the front door they walked around the house until they saw an open window on the second floor.

"We're going through the window right?" asked Chris speaking for the first time since he had started holding his breath.  
"That's right," said Jasper.

"But how do we get up there?" asked Chris, "it's not like there's a tree we can climb."

"Didn't you know that vampires were capable of jumping to great heights?" asked Jasper with a smirk and laughter in his eyes.  
"No I didn't," said Chris with a raised eyebrow. "You or Bella didn't mention that as being something that our kind was capable of achieving."

"Sorry, it just didn't occur to either one of us since it really isn't used much nowadays for it is hard to use an ability when there is usually so many people around that might see you and that would be a bad thing since jumping up to a second storey window would be impossible for a human without some kind of help."

Chris nodded but didn't reply as he was conserving his air.

"You go first and I'll follow," Jasper instructed quietly enough that only another vampire could have heard. They had in fact been talking in whispers that were inaudible to the human ears since they had exited the car in order to follow their prey as they didn't want to alert the man that he was indeed being followed. If there was one thing vampires were really good at it was following someone since they could be virtually invisible when they wanted to be.

Chris did as instructed and crouched for just a moment before letting his instincts take over and using the muscles in his legs leaped up to the second storey window with just one bound grasping onto the ledge and then pulling himself inside making one of the floorboards creak slightly.

"Wow! That was fun," said Chris enthusiastically but quietly just as soon as Jasper had joined him.

"Yes it was," Jasper agreed smiling a little at Chris enthusiasm as they both listened for a minute to make sure they hadn't been heard. When both vampires were sure that their entrance had gone undetected they quietly crept to the door of the room they were in and listened for just a second before opening it and entering the hallway

"No! Please daddy!" came the voice of a young girl and both Chris and Jasper knew that it had to be the girl that the man had been carrying as the likelihood of there being another child here were very slim.

"Stop your whining, you little brat," ordered a voice angrily and both Jasper and Chris heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh with such force that neither would be surprised if the girl had cracked bones at the very least. "You're getting exactly what you deserve so just shut up and take it like a good girl."

The two vampires heard quiet whimpering sounds and the heartbeats as well as laughter of at least six men.

"Are they going to do what I think they are going to?" asked Chris his anger beginning to rise. "Are those men really going to rape that child who has done nothing to them other then exist."

"Yes, I believe they are," said Jasper also feeling anger rising within him. "I also believe however that they intend to not only rape but murder her as they can't leave a witness after all and she is old enough to describe to the police exactly what they look like."

"Well let's go take care of the situation shall we?" Chris suggested his red eyes beginning to turn black from rage.

"Yes I believe that what is best to do in this situation is to put them all to sleep and then take the men somewhere so we can feed without being interrupted and then set the house on fire afterwards. The house is falling apart anyway so the police will more than likely assume that the men were playing around and accidentally set the house on fire or something of the kind."

"And the child?" asked Chris.

"We'll leave her on some couple's doorstep, one that doesn't have any children of their own and can't for whatever reason. We'll make sure they are kind and loving first before we do that but I know there are a lot of people in the world who would love to have a child of their own but can't for one reason or another."

"And what if her mother is still alive and is looking for her?" asked Chris.

"That's possible, but I doubt her mother is alive."

"Why?" asked Chris quietly but curiously.

"Because there is no way that if her mother was alive she would allow for the little girl to be taken from her and treated like an object and then be raped and abused. And yes I am well aware of the fact some mothers could care less what happens to their child but the way the girl has been whimpering for her for the last five minutes makes me believe that she loved her mother and vice versa and also that she is probably dead."

Jasper had a point Chris admitted as he listened to the little girl whimpering for her mother to save her.

"Shut up!" a new voice shouted and the sound of the girl being smacked again. "I'm so tired of your whimpering and your crying for your mommy that if you aren't quiet I'm going to kill you here and now and damn the consequences," one male voice said sharply and the sound of a fist hitting flesh caused both Jasper and Chris to growl lowly both furious.

The crying and whimpering cut off abruptly and both vampires who were listening from the second floor growled lowly in rage again.

"Byron, you are not to do anything to her until Dan gets back and that's an order," ordered another male voice gruffly. "Do you know what he'd do to us if we had our fun with her and he wasn't here to join in?"

"Where did Dan go anyway?" asked yet another man as the sound of a thump as the man sat down came to the two vampires ears.

"Just to check the perimeter to make sure no one saw him bring his daughter in here. We don't need anybody getting suspicious and snooping into something that is none of their concern."

"That's not very likely is it?" asked another man. "I mean we chose this house for a reason after all. The house has quite a reputation for being haunted and that means that the locals stay away from it."

"That's true enough, but someone might be brave enough to check it out if they see anything suspicious so Dan went to check outside just to be on the safe side."

"I hope he get's back soon, I'm ready to get started," said another man his voice sounding eager.

"It shouldn't be long," the man who had ordered then to wait before starting the festivities said. "He should be back in ten minutes or so."

"Let's go!" Chris urged his rage so great that anybody whether vampire or human could have felt it even if you didn't have Jasper's empathic talent. "If anybody deserves to die it's them."

"And I agree," Jasper said grimly beginning to send out waves of lethargy through the house.

The two vampires heard several thuds as several of the men hit the floor and both of them were downstairs in the blink of an eye. When they entered the room where the talking had been coming from they found three men on the floor unconscious, while another one was slumped in a chair and the fifth on a rather shabby couch.

"Where's the sixth?" asked Chris looking around for him.

"Here he is," said Jasper carrying a man over his shoulder from where he had been laying out in the opposite hall as there were actually two doors that led to the living room where the men had been congregated one on each side of the room.

"I'm going to take the girl up to one of the bedrooms," Jasper said. "That way we don't have to move the men elsewhere and she'll be far enough away that she won't be able to hear anything. Why don't you start your meal and I'll be right back."

"It's to bad we don't have time to torture them a little," Chris sighed regretfully, "but my throat is searing so bad right now that I'm having trouble controlling myself enough so that I don't attack that child."

"Which is very impressive but in any case do me a favor and leave the leader for me as I plan on making him ever regret being born before I kill him."

"I thought we didn't have time to torture them," said Chris.

"We don't, not the way I would like to anyway but I can certainly make him wish he was dead for his last few minutes on this earth before we send him off to hell where he belongs," said Jasper before he raced upstairs holding the child gently and tenderly in his arms until he reached one of the bedrooms a few seconds later.

Jasper put the girl gently on one of the beds, then kissed her forehead making sure that he continued to use his power so that she stayed asleep for the last thing they needed was to have to kill her for seeing something she shouldn't.

Once Jasper had gently wrapped an old ratty blanket around her he headed back downstairs to join his son in their first feed together.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

When Jasper got downstairs he found Chris just finishing feeding on his first man and it was only seconds after he entered the living room that Chris tossed the man aside where he landed in a crumpled heap across the room.

"Feel better?" asked Jasper.

"Some," said Chris. "At least my throat has finally quit searing so badly."

"Drink as many as you need to just so long as you leave the leader for me," said Jasper.

"But I want to torture him," Chris almost whined which was very unlike him. "What that man was going to do to his own daughter is so reprehensible that he deserves to be tortured for months."

"Yes, he does, but we need to finish up here and find that little girl a home before we head home ourselves and as much as I would like to take him with us and torture him for as long as his body could take it I don't think we have time and also we don't want to risk anybody seeing us carrying a body as even in this neighborhood it would be suspicious."

Chris looked at his watch and was truly surprised to discover that it was after two in the morning and the meant it was just a little more then four hours until the sun began to make an appearance.

"Oh all right," Chris finally growled. "Just killing him seems a little to easy and painless though for all he's done."

"I never said that we weren't going to give him some pain, just that we couldn't torture him for a long as we might wish. I am perfectly capable of giving him so much pain that he will be grateful when we finally let him die."

Chris's eyes lit up at that but then he said, "Won't the people of the neighborhood hear the screaming and call the police?"

"I found a cellar while I was gone and that should do for our purposes. It is deep enough that it should muffle his cries," said Jasper with a sigh the added, "It's at time's like this that I miss Bella's talent to shield."

"Why?" asked Chris. "I mean I know that Bella's shield can protect people but why do you wish you had it now?"

"Well one aspect of her talent, that we didn't tell you or your sister about, that Bella discovered during the whole Edward debacle, is that she can make her shield soundproof so no one would be able to hear the man's cries if we did decide to torture him for weeks or months."

"That's really cool," said Chris as he thought about how that part of Bella's talent could come in really useful in certain situations, "and dead useful so I can see why you miss having her here."

"Since we don't have her here I suppose we'll just have to do this the old fashioned way, like I did before I met the Cullens. Things were different back then though, a whole lot simpler." Jasper sighed looking a little melancholy. "I miss those days sometimes where things were so much easier but not enough to go back to them if that meant I would never meet Bella or you and your sister or even the Cullens for if not for them I probably never would have met Bella at all and gone through the rest of my existence always looking for that special someone but never finding her. So despite the fact that things were much easier two hundred years ago I would not change a single thing about my life, not even all the pain and loneliness I went through, if it meant I would never meet any of you or have the life I live now."

Chris could certainly understand that for even he could see the love that existed between Jasper and Bella and if what Jasper said was true a minute ago about being lonely even after he had met the Cullens then meeting Bella was probably as close to heaven as he would ever get.

Even vampires could be lonely which made sense for if he thought about it vampires had once been human after all and humans could get lonely if they didn't have any family or at least friends or acquaintances to spend time with sometimes.

There was no more talk between them as Chris grabbed a second man and without bothering to even try to wake him up he bit into his neck draining him in minutes.

When Chris looked up again he was feeling much better and he began to wonder what he and Jasper were going to do with the men that they didn't drain.

"So what are we going to do with the men we don't drain?" asked Chris already expecting that he knew the answer.

"Well we can't let them live for obvious reasons and they don't deserve to live in any case."

"But wouldn't that make us murderers?" asked Chris looking uncomfortable as he thought about what they were going to have to do. "I mean I guess us feeding on them in order to gain the substance we need in order to survive is also murder but somehow that just seems different."

"And in a way it is," said Jasper understanding what Chris was trying to say. "When we kill a human in order to feed we are also protecting the rest of human race from our kind. The simple fact of the matter is that if we didn't drink blood at regular intervals we would go on a rampage and kill hundreds of people at once. We are after all animals down underneath it all and animals live on instinct, which is also true for our kind. If we let ourselves get hungry enough our instincts would take over and we would be unable to resist killing until we were bathed in blood."

"While if we drink blood regularly we are not in as much danger of that happening," said Chris understanding.

"And as for the men we don't drain as you know we simply cannot afford to let them live, you know why and as I said just a few minutes ago before I got sidetracked they don't deserve to live even if we could show them mercy as what they were going to do to that four year old girl goes against my grain and everything I was taught by my parents when I was still human. To most people we might be monsters but some human invented cruelties that they use on their own kind just don't compare to what we do in order to survive."

"That's true enough," Chris admitted being enough of a student of history to know Jasper was right. Just look at Hitler and what he had done to the Jews and others just so the human race would supposedly be pure and look at what had happened doing world War I, II and III also the Vietnam War. He had read enough to know that a lot of cruelties had been done to the men who had been captured doing those times make what they were going to have to do look like a Sunday picnic in comparison, but still it went against his conscious and everything he had been taught to do it even if he knew it was necessary.

"I know you are struggling with your doubts, right now but once you have had a few years in this existence you will see that doing things like this is a necessary evil and in this case I have no qualms about it as we both heard what those men said and in my book when you go out of your way to harm others just for the sheer pleasure of it, especially children then you deserve what you get. Also their emotions were indifference, disdain, boastfulness, cockiness, greed, lust and condescension and were so heavy and strong I was practically drowning in them and if I didn't have so much practice feeling other peoples emotions I would probably be paralyzed from the intensity of them if that was possible for a vampire. Their emotions alone tell me that they do not feel the least bit remorseful or hesitant for what they were about to do which is why I consider what we are about to do to them justice, not murder. All we are really doing is giving them an early, one way ticket into hell where they already belong."

"I suppose so," Chris reluctantly agreed still feeling as if he was about to become a murderer even though in his head he knew that not only did it have to be done but that the men that were left after both he and Jasper had fed were hardly innocent. He felt like some kind of vigilant that was judge, jury and executioner though. He knew that those men were evil and unlikely to repent but shouldn't they still have a chance to do that and what if they had wives and children and they were there sole support?

Chris sighed almost silently but didn't say anything else as he and Jasper set about carrying the leader to the cellar they had discovered and then they closed both doors to the living room and pushing pieces of heavy furniture against them that no mere human could hope to move by themselves without help just in case the men that were still alive woke up. After that was accomplished they both headed down to the cellar to deal with the leader.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Wake up, you sorry, no good scumbag," Chris said kicking the father of the little girl awake, cracking some ribs in the process.

"What's going on?" the man groaned coming awake very suddenly putting his arms around his middle as he knew that his ribs were at least cracked if not broken for Chris had kicked him very hard. "Who are you?"

"Why we are your worst nightmare of course," Jasper hissed as he stepped forward. "All your buddies are dead and you will soon follow them into hell where you belong."

"Let me go," the man demanded as he tried to push pass it to vampires who where as in movable as a stone wall.

"Oh know you will not be escaping from us until you are dead and have gone to meet your just reward."

"What have I ever done to you?" demanded the man whimpering as Jasper hit him in the stomach hard enough to break more of his ribs causing the man to groan and clutch his middle again.

"What you were going to do to your own daughter is enough reason for us to send you to hell," Jasper hissed hitting him again his voice so menacing and cold that Chris was actually surprised there weren't icicles forming on the end of his nose and it wasn't even him that Jasper was mad at, "and all your friends with you as we are perfectly happy to rid the world of scum like you."

"Shall we start breaking a few of his bones?" asked Chris deferentially. "We do only have a limited amount of time here before we need to get home."

"You can start doing that while I use my power to cause him even more pain," Jasper said.

Chris nodded eagerly and began to approach the man who shrank back in fear curling up into a ball which did no good as Jasper at least didn't even need to touch him to cause him immense and unbearable pain.

Jasper looked at the man and then without moving from where he was standing starting using his talent on the man to cause him as much pain as he possibly could while Chris ripped off the man's clothes and took his right hand in his starting to crush his finger bones into powder one at a time.

"Stop! Please stop!" the man begged whimpering and screaming as somehow one of his tormentors didn't even need to to touch him to cause him immense, engulfing pain and the other one was crushing his fingers bones like they were nothing but paper.

"Why should we?" Chris hissed into the man's ear. "Why should we when you when your so-called friends were going to rape your own daughter? She can't be more than four!"

"She deserved it!" the man exclaimed. "She's nothing but a worthless burden that I don't need or want for that matter."

"She is a child!" Chris exclaimed as he continued to crush the man's bones although he had graduated to the backs of his hands as all his fingers were nothing, but mere sacks of bones now. "She who depends on you, her father, to look after her and to take care of her until she's old enough to do that for herself. She's only four and you were going to rape her and then kill her and what did she really ever do to you?" Chris hissed in a deadly whisper into the man's ear as he continued to crush his bones one at a time

"She exists!" the man cried unable to lie for not only was he in almost more pain then the human body was equipped to handle Jasper was also sending him a low level of trust and honesty as well as pain. "Her mother had the atrocity to die giving her life so why should I have to put up with her whining? I have better things to do with my time then take care of a mewling brat who is always in the way."

"You disgust me!" Jasper said as he finally came forward started on the man's toes after ripping off his tennis shoes with no effect whatsoever. A parent is supposed to look after their child not mistreat them, abuse them, or accuse them of causing the death of their mother. The least you could have done was give her up to an orphanage if you didn't want the responsibility of taking care of her as I'm sure there are a lot of families that would have loved to adopt her and would have loved her even if you couldn't."

The man was startled as if the idea had never occurred to him and it probably hadn't as he was so self-centered, selfish and self-absorbed.

"We need to finish up," Jasper said finally as he looked at his watch and noticed the time. "We don't want the rest of the family to worry about us, even though I'd love to keep torturing him for a week or two, but unfortunately it is time to send him to hell where he belongs."

Chris sighed in regret, but agreed allowing Jasper to deliver the final blow by biting down on the side of his neck and draining what remained of the man's blood not that there was much as Chris had left over a dozen knifelike wounds on various parts of the man's body and he was bleeding at a steady rate.

"Let's destroy the house and get that little girl out of here," Jasper said as they only had a couple of hours before dawn.

"Okay," Chris agreed feeling more than satisfied at what they had down to that girl's father although still a little regretful that they didn't have time to do more.

"I know I truly wish we could have tortured him for a couple of weeks at least, but it just couldn't be," Jasper told his son in an uncanny echo of Chris's thoughts.

"I know," Chris agreed with a sigh, "but at least we got to torture him some even if it's not as much as I would like."

"Or me," Jasper assured him giving him a pat on the back as the two of them raced up the stairs at vampire speed needing to hurry and get everything settled before the sun rose.

End Flashback

"Yes I can see why you would feel guilty and I can understand it as I'm sure Jasper told you that I went through the same thing a hundred years ago," said Bella finally after Chris finished telling his story.

"He did, but he didn't go into any details," said Chris.

"I felt it wasn't my place to tell you what Bella went through," Jasper said simply, "but also know it's what most vampires go through after their newborn stage is over if they were decent, law abiding humans at all. Some of our kind don't care of course whether or not we murder a human whether criminal or not, but I knew that you two would more than likely go through it at some point."

"But I haven't gone through it," Sofia protested who had remained silent up to this point trying to absorb her brother's story.

"Yet," said Bella as she snuggled into Jasper's arms, "but trust me when I say you will when Jasper takes you on your first hunt and even if it doesn't happen the first time you hunt it will once you have time to think about your actions and the possible consequences. The emotions when you hunt for yourself and track your prey can be very intense and always take a while to work through. Luckily for us we have someone who is experienced in that kind of thing to help us through the crippling emotions afterwards. Not all of our kind are so lucky and in fact most aren't."

Jasper looked embarrassed and knew that he would have been blushing if he could have. It took lot to embarrass him but honest and sincere compliments of that nature were enough to do it as before Bella he had had no one to admire his skill at controlling or teaching newborns, skills gained doing some of the bloodiest fighting known to vampire kind.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, little brother," Sofia told her brother giving him a little hug and a kiss on the cheek causing Chris to relax somewhat for he had feared that Sofia would hate him when she found out what he had done even if it had been necessary. "I'm not looking forward at all to experiencing the same in a few months time. And just so there is no doubt about my feelings I truly believe that that man and his buddies got exactly what they deserved just for what they were going to do to that little girl," she added.

"And I agree that you did the right thing. It's really a shame I couldn't be there to teach that shithead motherfucker a thing or two, because I guarantee he would regret ever being born by the time I was done," Bella said as she snuggled into Jasper's lap and looked like it would take an earthquake to move her as she looked very comfortable.

Chris relaxed completely at that.

"Oh he regretted it alright by the time Chris and I were done," Jasper assured his mate with an evil chuckle kissing the top of her head, tenderly causing her to purr softly.

"I just wish I could have been there," Bella said then shrugged philosophically with a sigh. "Oh well maybe next time."

"Love you, sis," said Chris after a moment giving his sister a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Love you to, bro," Sofia assured him returning the hug and kiss.

"When you do go through what I just did, know I will be there for you just like you've always been there for me since our parents passed away."

"I know," said Sofia simply. "I know."

Flashback

A few hours later Bella and Jasper got back from hunting Bella looking much better as she had fed on three different minor criminals, all men and Jasper of course had taken the opportunity to hunt up his own dinner as well.

"Thanks, Jasper, I needed that," said Bella looking and feeling much more like herself.

"You're welcome, but from now own I think I'll ask Rose and Emmett to have a meal already waiting for you for I don't like seeing you in the condition you were in from holding your shield up for so long."

"Oh no I don't want to be any trouble," Bella protested looking embarrassed.

"It will be no trouble and you know that," said Jasper rubbing his thumb over his mate's cheek lovingly. "They both love you and will be happy to do this for you."

"You're right," Bella admitted, "I guess I just don't want them thinking I can't take care of myself."

"They would never think that," Jasper told her. "We all need help occasionally and there's no shame in taking it."

"So do you think the results from the genealogy expert we hired have come in?" asked Bella changing the subject completely.

"Probably, I'll check my email when we get back home," said Jasper not at all worried about the change in subject as that was just like Bella and so he breathed a silent sigh of relief that his mate was feeling more herself.

"When we get home we need to spend some time with Peter and Char and of course Rose and Emmett," said Bella.

"And we will," Jasper said. "I'm sure Peter and Char will want to hear all about what we did to fuckwad."

"Why?" asked Bella curiously with a raised eyebrow.

"Because they met shithead just once about forty years ago when they came to visit me. They soon learned that he was a nosy, judgmental, opinionated child that didn't know how to stay out of other people's heads or mind his own business so they will be happy...actually scratch that...they will be absolutely ecstatic to learn what we did to him. I'm sure Rose and Emmett have already told them what they did to their former sibling and they will expect us to do the same."

"Okay then," Bella agreed without argument.

"So what do you want to do tomorrow?" asked Jasper with a smirk knowing exactly what she wanted to do without her even having to say the words.

"Oh, I don't know," said Bella pretending to consider for a moment before she smirked slyly and told her mate in great detail exactly what she wanted to do to him.

Jasper gulped and felt the general harden making his pants unbearably tight. "I can hardly wait and if I had my way we would forget about everybody else and I would drag you to our bedroom as soon as we get home and I wouldn't let you leave for the next forty-eight hours at least, but since that is not an option at present I suppose I will just have to wait a few hours to have my wicked way with you."  
"I'm looking forward to it," said Bella as nonchalantly as possible trying to hide her growing desire.

"You can't hide your desire from me," said Jasper as he smirked because he felt how much his mate wanted him.

Bella didn't have a chance to respond as they were approaching the gates to their villa.

"We'll have some time alone later," Jasper promised her as he gave her a quick, hard kiss and tenderly brushed a stray lock of brown hair out of her eyes before they were descended on by their family.

"I hope it's soon," muttered Bella under her breath as she looked at Jasper as he was greeting his family.

"Hey, Bells," said Emmett pulling her into a hug. "You and Jasper will have to tell us all about what you did to shithead."

"Sure just let me get a shower and change clothes as I've been in these for the last two days," said Bella returning Emmett's hug before entering the house anxious to get a shower and into some fresh clothes so she could feel clean and more like herself.

"So?" asked Peter and Emmett at the same time looking like two eager children who were about to be given a favorite treat. Rose and Char also looked interested although they tried not to look to eager.

"Well," Jasper began and then went on to describe how he had gone into major mode doing the whole thing and what they had done to the asshole with Bella adding her bits.

"Wow!" all four said at the same time shaking their heads.

"And I thought what what Emmett and I did was painful," said Rose awed and looking at her little sister with a new respect.

"Yeah I never knew you had it in you, little sis," said Emmett as he punched Bella on the shoulder.

"The capacity for violence is is in all of us," quoted Bella then added with a smirk. "Sorry I don't remember the whole quote or who it was by."

"I believe the whole quote is the capacity for violence and horror lies within each of us, no matter how docile and humane our dispositions might appear," Jasper quoted. "Those words were written by Martha Womack who is a kind of chronicler on Edgar Allen Poe's life, trying to dispel the many myths surrounding him."

"Thank you, cowboy," said Bella giving him a kiss from where she was sitting on his lap while sending him, her appreciation. "That's it exactly and that quote certainly fits the situation don't you think?"

The other nodded in agreement as the quote definitely fit.

"And what can I say except that asshole ticked me off," Bella added after a moment.

"So what are you going to do to him next time?" asked Peter looking interested.

"Well, I thought we'd leave his arms and legs reattached this time," said Jasper with a evil smirk.

"For a while anyway," added Bella following her mate's train of thought.

"We never did get around to using the thumbscrews," Jasper added looking thoughtful. "I mean I know they won't actually crush his bones but that doesn't mean it can't still be very, very painful."

"That's true enough," Char acknowledged.

"You know I never thought about the fact that you could skin one of our kind by using our fingernails," said Rose, looking at her nails thoughtfully seeming deep in thought.

"So what are you planning on doing to shithead," Bella asked Emmett and Rose.

"Well since you left all those beautiful torture devices in there we might use a few of them."

"What about a flaming hot poker except dipped in our venom first?" asked Char.

"You know that's a good idea," said Emmett.

"It is," said Rose tossing her long blond hair, "except instead of dipping it in our venom maybe we can use his own. That would definitely be poetic justice."

"So how long do you plan on keeping this going?" asked Char curiously.

"Oh I don't know," said Bella. "How long do you think he deserves to be tortured for the crime of deliberately killing three of his own family and nearly killing me, just for breaking up with him? If there's one thing I know about Edward it isn't the fact that I broke up with him that set him off, it is that I wounded his pride."  
"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall," Peter quoted. "Proverbs 16:18."

Everyone looked at Peter oddly but Charlotte, until he shrugged and looking embarrassed.

"And how do you know the bible?" asked Japer looking amused as he had never expected his brother to quote a bible verse.

Peter didn't answer looking uncomfortable so Char did, "Oh he went through a stage about thirty years ago where he was studying the bible in several different language. "It gave him something to do for about ten years."

"Well wherever you learned it is accurate in describing Edward," said Bella. "His pride was always one of his worst faults that I overlooked on a number of occasions."

"There's nothing wrong with being proud but you can go overboard," Rosalie said.

"Yes you can," Char agreed, "so back to my original question, how long are you planning on torturing Eddie?"

"Oh, I don't know, at least for the next month or two, maybe six or until we get tired of it I suppose," Jasper answered.

"Or run out of ideas," added Emmett.

"Which isn't going to happen anytime soon as the internet is a wonderful resource," said Bella.

"Jasper," said Peter looking concerned.

"What is it Peter?" asked Jasper feeling his brother's concern.

"I was just concerned that you let yourself go into major mode. Are you sure you are okay?"

"I was fine the whole time," Jasper assured his brother. "It helped that Bella was sending me a constant stream of her love and that kept me centered so I didn't have any trouble coming back from that mode like I used to."

"What's the difference between The Major and Jasper?" asked Emmett looking slightly confused though Rose understood as she and Jasper had had many discussions over the years and they had talked about the fact that he was like two different people in one body. There was the normal personality of Jasper, who was more easygoing, could love feel happiness, joy, forgiveness and then there was The Major who was the man he had been for so many years while serving Maria. The Major was merciless, without compassion or mercy and was implacable to his enemies.

"Emmett remember when I was telling the family about my past," Jasper began gently.

"Yeah, so?" asked Emmett not quite understanding.

"Well what I really only gave them the bare bones of it," said Jasper. "Imagine it like this, as Jasper I am more easygoing, I can love, feel happiness, joy, forgiveness or any other emotion."

Emmett nodded but didn't make any comments as he listened.

"Now imagine The Major, who is I guess you can say is the other side of my personality, and imagine a merciless tyrant who doesn't care who lives or dies just so long as he has enough newborns to win the next skirmish. He doesn't feel any love, compassion happiness, joy or any other positive emotion or if he does he buries them because they aren't part of who he is. Now imagine being that person for almost a century and how he became that way because of his environment, the fact that he was just trying to survive and also because that was what he was told that this was the way vampires lived. Now imagine how hard it was to return to the easygoing man he was before he was changed when he had been immersed in blood and death for so long."

Emmett thought about it for a few minutes and then seemed to finally understand. "I'm glad you aren't that man anymore."

"Me to, Emmett," said Jasper, "but you have to realize that The Major is still part of my personality, I just keep him locked away and try not to let him out. Now while we were torturing old Eddie I let him out of his cage for the first time in nearly seventy years and you can imagine how hard it was to lock him away the first time and you would think it would be equally as hard this time."

"But it wasn't?" asked Emmett looking curious.

"No, I think Bella gets the credit for that as even The Major recognizes her as his mate and so didn't harm a hair on her head. In fact he was downright giddy because she enjoyed torturing the asshole as much as he did. When it was all over I didn't have any trouble putting him back where he belonged and again I think that is thanks to Bella as well as she was sending The Major her constant love and devotion without an ounce of disgust that most people would feel when they learned of his capacity for violence and torture. I've never had anyone, well except for Peter and Char and of course you Emmett and Rosalie, to accept all of me and not just the part that is Jasper but the part that is The Major an implacable warrior as well because that is what he was raised to be from the second he woke up as a vampire."

The other's considered that all except Bella who was already sitting on Jasper's lap put her arms around him and gave him a hug and a kiss on the lips. Jasper held her close and breathed in her scent which immediately relaxed him.

"You've changed a lot in the last nine months," Rose observed. "You are much more relaxed then I have ever seen you."

"Well part of the reason is I feel like I can be more myself without Edward constantly snooping in my thoughts and also because all of you accept me and I am not constantly bombarded by negative emotions such as hate, disgust, disdain, animosity, shame and many more. If it was negative and about me Edward probably felt it and made sure I felt it as well."

"What an asshole," Emmett and Peter muttered at the same time and the other's nodded in agreement.

"Also finding my mate who accepts me for who I am and doesn't try to change me has helped tremendously," Jasper added kissing the top of Bella's head reverently from where it was laying on his chest. "Don't get me wrong as in a way I will always love Alice she was there when I needed her most, but despite that she didn't fully accept me, my scars, my past and the fact that although I kept him locked away The Major is still a part of me. Also Carlisle, Esme and Alice never accepted that Peter and Char were more a part of my family then they were for all they saw was the fact that they drank from humans, were unwilling to change and so they considered them a bad influence so I didn't get to see them very much."

"But now things are different," said Peter. "We'll see a lot of each other from now on."

"You bet we will," Bella agreed lifting her head off Jasper's chest. "I love you guys and just like Rose and Em I consider you a brother and sister so we'll be seeing a lot of each other, I guarantee it."

Peter and Char looked broken up at Bella's words and Jasper could tell that they were ecstatic, happy, gleeful, appreciative and gratified all rolled into one and he knew that his mate had just made their decade with her words because it meant she accepted them for who they were and that they were his family just as much as Rose and Emmett.

After Bella's words sunk in a grin split Peter's face and he got up and hugged her furiously while swinging her around, venom tears prickling his eyes.

"I love you to," said Peter.

"Put me down!" Bella ordered playfully punching Peter in the chest a soon as she had managed to get her arm loose from his embrace.

Peter put her down and rubbed the spot on his chest that Bella had hit pretending it had actually hurt him, "Ow that hurt," he mock complained.

"Please," Bella snorted swatting Peter's arm playfully. "I didn't even use my full strength so quit putting on the injured act."

Peter looked wounded that his act wasn't being taken seriously and everybody burst into laughter at Peter's antics relieving the tension.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

The next day Bella approached Peter and Charlotte and asked if she could have a word with them and when Char saw the envelope in her she raised an eyebrow in question when Peter wasn't looking and Bella winked. Char's expression didn't change but she started to practically vibrate with excitement as she knew what that envelope meant and Bella's wink just confirmed it.

"Sure, Bells," Peter replied. Peter had started calling her Bells just like Emmett did occasionally and Bella didn't mind although it reminded her of Jacob as he had used to call her that to.

"What did you want to talk about?" asked Peter.

"Well," said Bella nervously running a hand through her hair, "I wanted to give you this." Bella handed over the papers she had been holding and Peter took it and opened them looking confused but then after a few seconds started to read at vampire speed.

"We're related?" Peter whispered his voice beyond shocked. "By blood?"

"Yep," said Bella with a wide grin. "You're my Great-Uncle Peter Arthur Blakely, born August 15, 1919. You disappeared sometime between 1943 to 1945 which is when World War II ended and were assumed dead."

"How?" Peter stuttered holding the paper's in his hands as if they were more precious then gold.

"Why don't we sit down," Char suggested as she gently led her husband over to hers and Bella's favorite tree. Peter went willingly and without protest still seeming to be in shock which really was not surprising considering that Bella had just dumped it on him.

"Well when you first arrived I had a feeling that I had seen you somewhere before. It took me a while to remember, if only vaguely that my grandmother Marie Blakely Swan had a brother that had disappeared. I wasn't sure if my great-uncle's name had been Peter or not although I had the vague impression that it had been. I remember very vaguely my grandmother showing me pictures of a young handsome man that looked to be in his very early twenties. I still wasn't sure if if it was you or not so Jasper helped me to hire someone to look into my...our family tree," said Bella. "It took a while to get the results back and they just came in yesterday."

"Do you know what this means?" asked Peter, sounding all choked up, his usual joking demeanor absent.

"Yes it means you are my Great-Uncle Petey who's so old that he creaks when he walks," Bella teased gently trying to get him to laugh.

Peter laughed after a moment, but it sounded hollow although it did break the tension and shock a little.

All three were silent for a while as the two women were giving Peter plenty of time to absorb the news that he and Bella were related by blood.

"Do you know what this means to me?" Peter repeated so quietly that if Bella hadn't been a vampire she never would have heard him.

"Just as much as it means to me," Bella told him just as quietly. "Even though I knew it was a possibility the minute I started having someone look into my family tree I still didn't want to get my hopes up, you know, which is why I didn't say anything to you until I was sure. You are the only family I have left. Well the only family related by blood anyway," she amended. "My father, who would have been your nephew is dead and the only child he had was me at least as far as I know."

"This means the world to me," said Peter clutching the papers hard enough to wrinkle them, "That you cared enough to hire someone to look into our family."

"Of course I care," Bella told him. "I already loved you and Char as a brother and sister but now I suppose that Char here is my great-aunt."

"Don't you dare go calling me you great-aunt or there will be retribution, is that understood?" asked Char only half teasingly. "I don't look old enough to be anybody's aunt much less great-aunt."

"Yes, ma'am," Bella answered mimicking Jasper's words as well as his accent smirking at her aunt.

"I'll yes, ma'am, you," Char mock threatened shaking a fist at her niece.

"Tell me what you remember about my sister," Peter demanded suddenly seeming to finally come out of his daze.

"Peter!" Char admonished. "There's no reason to be rude to your niece."

Peter looked ashamed of himself while Bella just looked amused.

"Please, tell me what you remember about my sister," Peter asked in a politer tone.

"Well," said Bella thoughtfully thinking about it for a moment. "As I said before her name was Marie, which is my middle name by the way and that she was a great cook. She was always baking, cookies, pies, brownies anything sweet you could name. She always said that a way to a man's heart was through his stomach. I remember when I was much younger of helping her in the kitchen although she wouldn't let me anywhere near the oven afraid I would burn myself which I have to admit was pretty likely as clumsy as I was. I was maybe four when I helped her bake some brownies that she let me taste the results of once they were done. I always saw her in the summers when I was visiting my dad as she also lived in Forks. I don't remember my grandfather at all as I'm pretty sure he died before I was ever born but I know that my grandmother had pictures of him in a photo album and she would sit me down and tell me the stories behind each one. I remember she was always sad when she mentioned him and she would tell me it was because she missed him but that she would see him again, someday."

"Did she ever mention me?" asked Peter his vulnerability endearing and making him look a little like a young boy.

"Yes, once or twice I caught her looking at a black and white photo of you and you were in an army uniform. She would get all sad when she looked at the picture. I asked once what was wrong and also asked who you were and she told me that you were her brother that had vanished sometime near the end of World War II and it was assumed you had died, even though the army never found a body. I was maybe seven when I asked her that and it was only a couple of years later that she passed on."

Peter listened and soaked up everything Bella could remember about his long dead sister which wasn't as much as he would have liked but on the other hand he felt as if he had been given his family back. Bella remembered far more of her life then most vampires and the only conclusion Peter could come to was that it was because she had gone through the change willingly instead of unwillingly and had taken great pains to remember at least some about her family for which he was grateful for.

"She was one of the most beautiful lady you could ever meet, not just her looks but the fact that she was kind and gracious to everyone she met. She was always donating baked goods to a couple of homeless shelters as well as the church she attended. Everybody as far as I know loved her and she didn't have a single enemy."

"Do you have any pictures?" asked Peter urgently.

"Well Rose managed to save a few from the burned out house that killed Carlisle and the others. I used to have a whole photo album, but thanks to that idiot Edward most of it was burned up in the fire. The ones she saved were in a shoebox under the bed as I hadn't had time to really put them into the album yet. I do have one of my grandmother Marie, one of her and my dad as a young man and a couple of others but those are the only ones that didn't burn."

"Can I see them?" asked Peter looking so hopeful that Bella and Char had to force themselves not to laugh at his expression as he looked like a puppy dog hoping for a treat.

"Of course, although I warn you that the shoebox they were gotten from was soaked through and the only reason these came out better then the others is because they were on the bottom, but even then the water still got to them so the edges are curling and starting to peal. You'll have to be very careful when you handle them because of the water damage."

"I'll be careful," Peter promised solemnly as all three rose to their feet and Bella led the way into the house.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"So was Peter shocked when you told him?" asked Jasper as they lay in bed that night.

"Beyond shocked," Bella agreed. "I suppose I did kind of dump it on him although no matter how I had told him he still would have been shocked no matter what."

"Probably," Jasper agreed.

"You know I could really, seriously, permanently kill fuckwad about now," Bella added after a moment.

"Why?" asked Jasper in curiosity with a raised eyebrow.

"Because of him and the fire I lost most of the photographs I had of my family that Peter would have loved seeing. I had a whole photo album as well as a shoebox full and because of him most of them were either burned up or got soaked through when the firetrucks showed up to put out the fire. I know we didn't know that Peter was related to me at the time and even if he wasn't fuckwad still took something personal from me. I'll never get those photos and memories back."

"You might not have remembered who the people were even if they hadn't burned up," Jasper pointed out.

"That's true enough, but I'm sure at least some of them had writing on the back telling who it was. Besides didn't you tell me that sometimes encountering items or hearing about your past would bring some of those memories back?"

"I did," said Jasper.

"Well when I think of it like that, I can't help being even more furious at Edward then I was already."

"When you put it like that I can understand why you are even more pissed off at him," said Jasper. "He took something very personal from you when he set the house on fire and as sorry as I am for what happened to your photos, I am also glad that you survived even if your memorabilia didn't."

"I'm glad I survived to," Bella told him giving him a kiss while running a hand through her mate's hair tenderly making Jasper close his eyes because of the tenderness of the caress, "because I know if I hadn't then you wouldn't have and I cannot bear the thought of your demise, especially by your own hand. Besides I love you more every day and I was looking forward to the day you changed me so we could be together and now we can be despite the circumstances that brought it about."

"You're right," Jasper acknowledged sending Bella his love which washed over her in a wave so strong that Bella knew if she had been human it probably would have knocked her unconscious because of the intensity of it.

"And as long as we're together now it hardly matters," Bella told him lifting her head off his chest to kiss his ever willing lips. Jasper immediately responded and there was no more talking except for groans, moans and purrs of pleasure.

End Flashback

Life went on and before Chris and Sofia knew it a whole year had passed which meant that they weren't newborns anymore. Both kept doing extremely well around humans and it got to the point that all four of them went out together, sometimes to the movies or to the mall or even to the 22nd century's version of an amusement park. The amusement park especially tended to be packed with people, families out for some fun and relaxation after working hard.

"You both have done better then I really expected," Jasper told the twins one day. "I believe that you are now ready to be around humans for a couple of hours without supervision. Since this is just a test run so to speak a two hours is plenty for now anyway."

"Really?" asked Sofia excitedly.

"Yes," said Jasper, "but if you do need help for whatever reason you have our numbers programmed into your wrist talkers." Once the twins had gotten their strength under control Bella had bought them both new wrist talkers which was the 22nd century's version of the 20th century's cell phones. It was almost like a wristwatch except you could make phone calls on it and do a whole bunch other things to.

It had been discovered totally by accident one day a few months ago that Sofia who had always tried to fade into the background when she was human now had the ability to camouflage herself as well as others. She could change anyone's eye color, hair color, or make their skin look human by giving it color as well. Of course being able to camouflage didn't help her bloodlust so she still had to be careful when going around humans so as not to attack them. As for Chris they had found out that he could control the weather to a certain extent although it was very localized and stretched no more then a couple of miles of wherever he was and it didn't last once he stopped exerting his talent. He could make it cloudy or rainy so that they could go anywhere at anytime even if it was supposed to be bright and sunny out. Both their abilities were pretty strong and Sofia's ability especially would last for several days or until it was removed.

"Both of those are very useful abilities to have," Bella had commented at the time they had been discovered. "It will make it much easier for us to travel or for you to travel by yourselves if you can control the cloud coverage wherever you are and the ability to blend in a little easier will be very useful in the long run as well."

Both twins had been pleased when their abilities manifested as both could see how very useful they could be and since they were almost always together they could help each other out by using their abilities on each other. It would be nice to be able to go out on sunny days by making it cloudy or to be able to go around humans without having to wear contacts or sunglasses or worry about sparkling

"So where should we go?" Chris asked his sister.

"Well, we need to go somewhere there aren't to many humans and also somewhere where we can be back in a couple of hours so that leaves out the movies or the mall and the zoo is not good idea either as the animals would react very badly to having a couple of predators being so close to them."

"Not to mention there would probably be to many humans for us to deal with until we get better control," Chris suggested. "As Jasper has pointed out to us on more than one occasion just because we are doing well doesn't mean we should push it as this is our first excursion without Jasper or Bella to help us out if we need it."

"So where does that leave?" asked Sofia trying to think of where they could go

"The park?" Chris suggested.

"Well I suppose it will do for a start," Sofia said reluctantly wrinkling her nose as the park would not have been her first choice. It wasn't that she had anything against them just that she was not the type of girl who enjoyed just sitting on a bench watching the world go by or reading a book.

"I know it isn't your first choice but I don't see any other options," said Chris sympathetically knowing his sister's dislike of just sitting on her butt doing nothing. "We don't have time to go to the movie and get back before our two hours are up, the same for the mall or a museum."

"I have been wanting to see the Liberty Bell and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier," Sofia admitted. "This would be the perfect opportunity to go and do that although we will have to save National Constitution Center for later as doing those two things as well the driving time will take up our two hours."

"You actually want to go to a park?" asked Chris raising his eyebrow in amazement.

"You know perfectly well that my main objection to parks is sitting on my ass not doing anything but watching the world go by. At least if we go to Independence National Park we will be doing something besides sitting on our butts. I have nothing against parks except there is nothing for somebody our age to do except jog if you are into that kind of thing that is or watch a baseball game. We are to old to use the playground equipment and would look mighty strange if we were to start using the seesaw, the monkey bars or the slide."

"You're right," Chris admitted. "The playground equipment was made for little kids not somebody our age."

"Exactly," said Sofia triumphantly.

"Independence National Park it is," said Chris who had nothing against learning something new although it still wouldn't have been his first choice of a recreational activity. He loved to read unlike his sister it was true but he read more science fiction and fantasy then books with actual facts in them.

"Maybe next time we go out we can stay out more than a couple of hours but we need to work our way up until we have no trouble being around humans all the time so that we can do what we want like travel," said Sofia.

"There is that," Chris agreed his usual impatience to be out doing things under tight control as he couldn't afford to be impatient with this as some innocent human could get hurt or see something they shouldn't.

"Just let me tell Bella and Jasper where we are going before we leave," said Sofia as she and Chris left her room where they had been talking softly.

"Okay I'll wait for you outside," said Chris making sure he had his car keys, and his wallet with his ID and money before heading downstairs to the car that Jasper and Bella had bought for him. The car was a silver mercedes sports car and went really fast which was something he learned that vampires enjoyed. Even Sofia enjoyed driving at three hundred miles an hour now and their was no way you could have gotten her to go over the speed limit when she was human. Him on the other hand had always enjoyed driving fast and on the back roads that didn't get many other cars and now he could go at three or four hundred miles an hour and it was as if he was standing still and hardly moving at all.

"Let's go," said Sofia coming into the garage.

"Who's driving?" asked Chris.

"You can, if you want," said Sofia. "We can trade off, we'll take your car this time and next time we'll take mine."

"Okay, sounds good," said Chris unlocking his car with the remote and opening the door.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Almost exactly two hours later Chris and Sofia entered the house once more to find Jasper and Bella both waiting for them in the den. Bella was sitting on the couch with a book and Jasper was laying on his back with his legs dangling off the end of the couch his head on his wife's lap. Bella for her part was using one hand to run it through her husband's hair almost absently as she read her book and Jasper had his eyes closed and was so relaxed that he looked almost asleep.

"So how did it go?" asked Jasper opening his eyes although he didn't bother sitting up.

"It was hard at first," Chris answered immediately. "Even though there weren't that many people at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier or the Liberty Bell there was enough that we had to hold our breaths for a few minutes until we got control of ourselves."

"No one paid the least bit of attention to us at all," Sofia added. "I changed our eyes to hazel just like they were when we were human and also gave our skin a slight flush so it didn't look all white and lifeless. We actually looked human and the only thing that made us seem unhuman was the way we walked which neither of us could really do anything about."

"Also I made it cloudy so that we wouldn't have to worry about sparkling in the sun," Chris added.

"So no incidents or close calls?" asked Bella who had put down her book and been listening to the conversation

"Not like you mean, no," said Chris who was still seething, sat down in one of the chairs while Sofia took the other one.

"We actually had this man who looked about our age walk up to us and try to pick me up. It was as if he wasn't afraid of us at all, like he couldn't sense that we were predators which was really weird."

"And how did you guys do with a human so close?" asked Jasper sounding surprised that a human would just walk right up to a couple of vampires but of course they hadn't looked like vampires at the time except for the way they walked which was like predators but then again Bella had been the same way so perhaps it wasn't all that surprising.

"We tried not to breathe to much," said Chris, "but since the main reason we were out there in the first place was to see if we could stand to be around humans and the scent of their blood without supervision we had to breathe some."

"So what happened with that man you were just telling us about?" asked Bella tilting her head curiously.

"Sofia politely told him that she wasn't interested and the guy seemed to take it as a challenge," said Chris growling a little as he remembered what had happened afterwards.

"The guy, whose name is Albert by the way, began following us as we left the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and went to see the Liberty Bell," said Sofia shuddering a little. "He was very persistent and Chris finally had had enough as we were getting ready to head back to the car."

"What did you do?" asked Jasper curiously.

"Oh I grabbed the front of his shirt and lifted him off his feet enough that he was several inches off the ground and told him that if he didn't quit pestering my sister I wouldn't bother going to the police to report the harassment and that his body would never be found. I also told him that if he went to the police to report me for threatening him I would find him and make him regret it."

"He was so scared by this point that he left us alone," Sofia added, "and also if Chris hadn't taken care of the guy I was getting ready to do something to him myself but I think it is better that Chris handled him."

"You're right," Jasper acknowledged, "If you had lifted him off his feet it would have looked very suspicious as you don't look strong enough to be able to lift a human several inches off the ground."

Sofia was very tall especially for a girl but she was also skinny and didn't look as if she had muscles or at least not enough to be able to lift anyone off their feet anyway but looks could be deceiving as the saying went and Sofia had been pretty strong even as a human even if it didn't look like it. As for Chris he was just the opposite and although he looked like his sister he was also bulkier and you could see the muscles rippling underneath his shirt. Chris wasn't as big as Emmett by any means but he was certainly big enough to lift a human off their feet without it looking odd if anybody saw.

"You know the question of the moment is will this Albert guy go to the police or will he take Chris's warning seriously?" asked Bella.

"I don't think he'll go to the police," said Sofia. "He was so scared of Chris that I could just smell the fear coming off him and also by the end he had wet his pants so no I don't believe he will go to the authorities. I mean what kind of man would want to tell the police that he was so frightened that he actually wet his pants and all from a boy who doesn't look any older than he is?"

"Fear is a useful tool in certain situations," said Jasper looking proud.

"So we are beginning to discover," said Chris.

"But why would that get so close to you in the first place? I mean didn't he sense you were different?" asked Bella.

"Maybe he was like we were and didn't sense the predator in us," Sofia suggested.

"Or maybe it's because you used your illusions to make the both of you look human," Jasper suggested. "It's a interesting thought anyway and one we will need to test out sometime in the near future."

"So other than that did you have any problems with being around humans?" asked Bella.

"No, nothing worth writing home about as the saying goes," said Sofia. "I'm glad Chris was able to get rid of that Albert guy though he was really starting to piss me off."

"And you better watch out what Sofia loses her temper," said Chris. "It takes a lot to make her mad unlike me but once she reaches her breaking point she'll really go off on whoever makes her mad. Usually by the time she is done yelling the person feels like they have been through the wringer."

Sofia looked embarrassed at her brother's words even though as much as she hated to admit it Chris was spot on about her temper.

"Well since the experiment went so well maybe next week we can try this again," Jasper said looking pleased that they had been able to control themselves. "You need to work your way up from two hours to three, then four and so on. If you keep doing so well it won't be long before you are able to be around humans all day if you want to."

"That will be great," said Sofia looking happy. "It will be nice to be able to go to the mall or a movie by myself if I want to."

"Well if you keep doing so well it won't be long before you can do that," said Bella with a smile. "And before you know it you'll be able to travel by yourself to, if you want to just get away for a while."

"I can't wait to be able to travel," said Chris. "I've always wanted to see the world and now I have an eternity to do it."

"Yes, you do," said Jasper letting the twins know that he was very pleased with the progress they were making.

They discussed what had happened while the twins were out for another few minutes before Chris and Sofia left Bella and Jasper alone for the rest of the day to do their own things.

Flashback

Three days later it was Jasper and Bella's turn to torture Edward again and they walked to the dungeon hand in hand The Major already beginning to look out of Jasper's eyes.

"Ready, darlin'," asked Jasper and by his tone of voice and the way he stood military straight Bella knew that it was The Major who was asking and not her Jasper.

"I'm ready, willing and able, major," Bella responded giving his hand a squeeze.

"Good, let's get to it then," said The Major sounding gleeful and Bella supposed that she couldn't really blame him for his attitude. Edward had made an enemy of not only Jasper but The Major as well the minute he attacked her in the kitchen of the house she had shared with her father. Edward had no idea what he had set himself up for when he had done that to her for while Jasper might have eventually forgiven him the part of his personality that was The Major was not someone you could expect to cross and live to tell the tale and that was despite that Edward had read Jasper mind and so knew what he was capable off when he was furious.

They entered the cell hand in hand and Edward actually whimpered when he saw them. The choke pear had been removed so he could be force fed and had not been reinserted although it was lying over on the table waiting for her if she decided she was tired of his cries and screams of agony. Bella looked at Edward not feeling an ounce of sympathy for him as he had brought it on himself. Bella studied him for a minute and saw that she was not the same handsome boy that she remembered from when she was dating him for now he probably had as many scars as Jasper, but while The Major's had been earned in battle and were badges of honor, Edward's had been given to him through torture for his crimes.

"Well let's get started, shall we," Bella purred as she walked over to Edward with lethal grace.

Jasper looked at his mate admiringly as he watched her stalk towards the boy that was once his brother with the grace of a predator. Her emotions were ones of determination, hate, anger, loathing and confidence.

In addition to what had already been used several devices of torture had been added including a poker that could be heated with a lighter and a bottle of sulfuric acid as well. While the acid wouldn't actually kill him it would cause him unbearable pain and even more agony if they put it on spots that didn't have any skin on them. These items had been obtained at Bella's request as she had spent several more hours on the internet the other day looking up new torture methods that would work on a vampire.

"What shall we start with first," Bella thought musingly out loud for Edward's benefit which caused the boy to whimper and curl up into a fetal position which caused both Jasper and Bella to smirk.

"What about the poker?" The Major suggested, "Although it will take a while to get it hot with just the lighter."

"Why don't I do that?" Bella suggested. "And while I am you can use your empathic ability to torture him. I'm sure you can have him screaming in less then a minute with no problem at all."

"That's a great idea," said The Major giving his mate an admiring glance which caused Bella to give him a wink and say, "Well get started and I'll time you to see how long it takes you to make him scream so loud that we should be surprised that the whole castle doesn't fall down around our ears."

"Yes, ma'am," The Major drawled in his thickest southern accent turned on by his mate's authoritative command.

"Start now!" Bella commanded.

Jasper turned back to Edward and surveyed him for a few seconds then immediately started pouring out the misery, intense pain, desperation, worthlessness, terror, hopelessness, horror, helplessness, despair and every other negative emotion he could think of.

Edward screamed and screamed as the feelings Jasper was sending out hit him like an out of control train and were so intense that Edward couldn't stop himself even though he had been determined to bear the brunt of whatever Jasper sent him in silence, but that was impossible.

"So how long did that take me darlin'?" asked The Major as he continued to pour on the negative emotions.

"Fifteen seconds," Bella answered immediately sounding impressed.

"Hmm, a new record. If he can scream like this and we haven't even touched him yet then imagine what we can do when we really get going."

"How long can you maintain those emotions you are sending him?" asked Bella interestedly.

"Oh I could keep this up for days or even weeks so long as someone brought me blood every three or four days," The Major answered, sounding smug.

"Now there's an idea," said Bella looking intrigued. "You can stop now though the poker is heated up now and is white hot, ready for use."

Jasper stopped the emotions and Edward whimpered in relief but knew it would not last.

"Put him on the table would you, major?" Bella asked sweetly.

"Yes, ma'am," The Major answered picking up fuckwad and putting him on the table. "Your wish is my command."

"Why thank you, major," Bella said gratefully giving him a kiss, "You're such a gentleman."

"It's what my mama raised me to be," answered The Major.

"Well your mama did a good job," Bella complimented her mate who smirked. "Now let's get started shall we?"

Jasper and Bella stood on either side of the scarred body of Edward Cullen and seemingly communicating without words Jasper used his fingernail to remove some of the skin on Edward's chest and when he had pulled the strip away Bella applied the white hot poker to the skinless area.

Edward who had been whimpering quietly, screamed as the white hot poker was applied to his chest. Bella kept the poker in position as Jasper cut off another piece of skin which Bella then applied the poker to, causing Edward to shriek in such a high-pitched voice that if he had been human he would have gone hoarse.

"You know one thing we've never tried?" Bella asked The Major looking thoughtful.

"What's that?" asked The Major wondering what devious little thought was going through his mate's skull.

"Well, we have yet to do any damage to his all important manhood, not to mention his testicles. I think that is the next area we should concentrate on."

"What a splendid idea," The Major told his mate liking the idea enormously. "I'll go get the acid if you want to apply the poker before it cools."

Edward whimpered as Bella's attention turned back to him and she calmly applied the still white hot poker to the tip of his penis which she held in her hand so that it would stand upright.

"Aaaaahhhhh, ccccccccccccrrrrrrrrrrrruuuu uuudddddddd, ssssssssshhhhhhhiiiiiiiiittt ttttt, dddddddddddaaaaaaaaammmmmmmn nnnnnnnn, cccccchhhhhhrrrrrriiiiiiiiss ssssstttttttt, fffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuccccc ccccckkkkkkkkkkkk, ccccccccrrrrrrrraaaaaaappppp ppppp!" Edward screamed and cussed so loudly that it made Bella smirk in satisfaction.

"Ready for the acid?" asked The Major.

"Oh yeah!" exclaimed Bella excitedly. "Why don't you pour a few drops on his balls?"

"It will be a pleasure," The Major answered with a wicked glint in his black eyes tipping the bottle of sulfuric acid just enough that three or four drops fell out on onto Edward's balls.

"No, more," Edward whimpered. "I can't take anymore. Please just kill me now."

"What did you say about giving you even more pain?" asked Bella with an innocent look on her face having heard Edward's pleading perfectly well but choosing to ignore it. "I'll be glad to."

Jasper sniggered and watched as Bella calmly used her fingernail to leave marks on the skin of his penis and then took it a step farther and circumcised him by cutting into the skin at the very tip and then pulling it off, causing Edward to cry and sob. "Would you mind, major?" asked Bella with a smirk not needing to say anything else as Jasper was a smart man and knew precisely what she wanted.

"Of course, darlin'," said The Major pouring another few drops of acid onto fuckwad's manhood making sure that at least one of the drops landed on the very tip of the newly circumcised area.

Edward shrieked and cussed, then panted like he had just run a marathon.

"Oh what a shame the poker is all cold now," Bella murmured looking disappointed.

"Well we could heat it up again," The Major suggested.

"We might do that later but let's try something else now," Bella answered putting the poker back on the table.

"What did you have in mind?" asked The Major with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I thought we could do a little damage to his arms and legs as we haven't really paid any attention to them yet. We can start by skinning them and then we'll see," said Bella with a smirk as she gazed at her former boyfriend without feeling an ounce of sympathy for him at all.

Jasper nodded and he immediately started using his fingernail like a knife and began to cut off strips of skin off Edward's inner right thigh while Bella did the same on the left to his arm.

It wasn't long before Edward had huge, long strips of skin missing on not only his right inner thigh and left arm but on his left thigh and right arm as well.

"Why don't you pour a little bit of that acid on his wounds?" Bella suggested to Jasper gleefully. "And use your talent as well to cause him even more pain?"

"It will be a pleasure," said The Major as he did just that and then watched dispassionately as Edward screeched, screamed and shrieked loud enough to bring the whole castle down.

"Please just end it. I can't take anymore," Edward whimpered in a pleading tone as soon as he had stopped screaming. "Just kill me now, please."

"We'll think about it," Bella told him as she surveyed the instruments of torture on the table trying to decide what to do next.

"Hey major, why don't we start removing his fingers and toes one at a time causing him as much pain as possible of course? You can also use your talent and cause him even more excruciating pain, like what you did to Renee and Phil, do you remember?"

"Yes, ma'am," said The Major as he remembered how he had sent Bella's mother and stepfather the pain of not only Bella's transformation into a vampire but of every newborn he had ever changed which had been in the hundreds.

"And unlike them he can't really die from it now can he?" asked Bella with an absolutely wicked and evil smirk that caused The Major to become hard.

"No, ma'am," answered The Major as he sent his mate his admiration and love.

"Well let's get to it, shall we?" said Bella sending her mate her undying love and adoration.

The Major nodded not responding verbally and immediately started sending out the excruciating pain of the transformation then amped it up until it was at least a thousand times worse, if not five thousand times worse. Just the pain of one transformation was excruciating as your limbs felt like they have been dipped in acid, skinned slowly using a dull and blunted knife, then set on fire. Now imagine all that pain and then don't just double it or even triple it but imagine not only that pain but also being dipped in boiling lava, then having your skin ripped into by very sharp teeth and your gut feel as if it is not only on fire but that you are slowly being burned alive from the inside out. Imagine the heart beating so wildly that you are afraid you are going to have a heart attack or a stroke and then tripling and quadrupling it until you are surprised that it doesn't come out of your chest with the force of its own beating and imagine what that would do to a vampire whose heart doesn't beat.

"SSSSSSSHHHHHIIIIITTTTTT, CCCCCHHHHHRRRRRRIIIIISSSSSSS TTTTTTTT, CCCCCCCRRRRRRRAAAAAAAPPPPPPP ," Edward shrieked in such a high-pitched voice that if he had been human he would have destroyed his voice permanently.

"Can't you scream any louder then that?" asked The Major sounding disappointed as he continued to pour on the pain and agony of several hundred transformations.

"I'm sure that if this room wasn't so deep underground that we would have the authorities knocking on our door wondering what the hell was going on," Bella told her mate dryly.

"Probably," The Major agreed as he started to slowly wrench off Edward's big toe on his right foot while Bella started with the little toe on the opposite foot.

There was several metallic tearing sounds and the two toes came loose causing Edward to shriek even louder. "Ah that's better," said The Major smirking in satisfaction grabbing another toe and slowly pulling it off as well causing Edward to yell sounding like a banshee that was slowly, but agonizingly dying.

Bella used her fingernail to cut the skin off Edward's big toe and as he was shrieking she tore it off causing him to shriek even more.

When his toes were gone Bella slowly used her nail to cut into one of his eyeballs while Jasper started to pull off his fingers on his only hand. Bella scooped out the eyeball she was working on and then started on the other one using the cattle prod to send electric shocks though his whole head as she placed it on his eye socket and when she had done enough of that she slowly started cutting the other eyeball in half before pulling out the pieces one at a time.

"What about the rack again," The Major finally suggested. "Didn't we say something about using it again but turning the handle even faster then before making his pain and agony last even longer?"

"We did," said Bella, "and that's a great idea. We need to do that before we remove his hands and feet which we can do afterwards, so why don't you go put him on the rack and I'll be right there?"

Jasper complied and picked up the scarred body of Edward Cullen and walked over to the rack where he happily bound him waiting for his mate to join him.

It wasn't more then a minute later that Bella came over to stand beside him not only holding the bottle of acid and the cattle prod but the poker which was white hot again.

"And what do you plan on doing with those?" asked The Major with a raised eyebrow wondering what devious plan was running through his mate's mind.

"Oh I was thinking that you could turn the handle of the rack and while you are doing that I could apply these to certain sensitive areas causing him double the pain, maybe even triple depending on what I do to him of course. It's a good thing he is a vampire or he would be very dead from all we've done to him as no mere human would have been able to survive having their arms and legs removed not to mention all the bones we have crushed and the other things we have done to him."

"What great ideas," The Major said in a tone of awe sending his Bella his pride and love at her wonderfully wicked ideas.

Bella glowed with happiness and sent The Major her love, devotion, adoration, desire and pride as well and watched as The Major's eyes lit up and how he smiled as he felt the emotions that his mate was sending him.

"Let's get started shall we?" said Bella with a quirked eyebrow and a devious little smirk.

"We shall," agreed The Major starting to turn the handle of the rack and watched as his Bella took the cattle prod and applied it to Edward's all important manhood. It delighted both The Major and Jasper as they watched how fuckwad screamed, cried, and sobbed like a baby in unbearable and intense pain. To top it off the pain, despair, torment and suffering rolling off him delighted both sides of his personality as well and made him hot for more. Normally he didn't delight in the pain or torment of someone else but in this case and after all Edward had done to his family, not to mention his mate, he would gladly cause him as much pain as possible.

"Have you ever heard the quote: It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience," The Major asked his mate.

"No, I don't believe I have although the words would seem to apply to old Eddie," said Bella who smirked as she continued to use the white hot poker on fuckwad's stomach and thighs making sure to place it on the areas that were skinless as she wanted to cause him as much pain as she possibly could before the poker cooled for a second time.

"Those words were said by none other then Julius Caesar and they definitely apply to this situation," said The Major watching dispassionately as the words sunk into Edward's brain and he looked at both Jasper and Bella with despair, hatred and pain written in his black eyes.

"Is that so?" asked Bella looking down at their tortured boy before her as she spilled a few drops of the acid onto his open wounds. "That is certainly interesting."

Edward shrieked as the acid landed on his open wounds and then Bella with an evil smirk playing on her lips applied the white hot poker to his thighs and then his throat.

"Another quote that would seem to apply is: Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding," said The Major as he continued turning the handle of the rack slowly so as to prolong shithead's pain as much as possible.

"And who wrote that?" asked Bella looking at her mate admiringly. She had always known how intelligent he was but she had not realized until just now how widely read he was although she should have known as a vampire that didn't sleep or get tired and had to have something to do with their time.

"Khalil Gibran who wrote a series of self help books. He was born Khalil Gubran and in academic contexts his name was often spelled Jubrān Khalīl Jubrān, Jibrān Khalīl Jibrān, or Jibrān Xalīl Jibrān. Born on January 6, 1883, died April 10, 1931 also known as Kahlil Gibran, was an Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer. Born in the town of Bsharri in what is modern-day Lebanon which was then part of the Ottoman Mount Lebanon mutasarrifate, as a young man he emigrated with his family to the United States where he studied art and began his literary career. He is chiefly known in the English-speaking world for his 1923 book The Prophet, an early example of inspirational fiction including a series of philosophical essays written in poetic English prose. The book sold well despite a cool critical reception, and became extremely popular in the 1960s counterculture. Gibran was the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao Tzu."

Bella listened in fascination as Jasper expounded on all he knew about someone she had never heard of. "That's absolutely fascinating," said Bella sending The Major her admiration and pride. "You must have seen a lot about history since you've been around for so long."

"Oh yes, but we'll discuss that another time as torturing old Eddie right now takes priority."

"Yes," Bella agreed applying a few drops of the acid to Eddie's one eyeball and watching with an almost ecstatic expression as Edward screamed and hollered as if the whole world was coming to an end.

"Well shall we start removing his feet?" asked Bella after they had removed Edward from the rack half an hour later. Edward's arms and legs were not quite dislocated although he was at least twice as tall as he had been thanks to the rack which had not only stretched his arms and legs to at least twice their normal length but had caused him excruciating pain.

"At the ankle?" asked The Major.

"Why don't we use our strength to crush his bones before we remove his feet?" Bella suggested looking gleeful.

"What a wonderful idea," The Major approved as he started using his hand like a vice and crushing the bones in Edward's foot with no trouble at all. "I don't doubt that if you had been a vampire when I was first changed we could have done some wonderful torture to humans and vampires alike, including Maria."

"We could have killed her together and you wouldn't have had to spend so long under that sadistic bitch's care," said Bella as she bit into one of Edward's ears tearing off the tip and then spit venom on the wound causing Edward to scream out in agony. It wasn't that he hadn't already been in immense pain as Jasper was still giving him the agony of hundreds of transformation all at once but this just added to what he was already getting and made both Bella's and Jasper's demons howl in glee at the pain the boy they both hated with every ounce of their souls and hearts was in.

Bella calmly bit off another little bit of his ear and then tore off the rest and spat venom onto the wound of where his ear had once been.

"Just let me die," Edward pleaded even though he could no longer look at them as he no longer had any eyes. "Please, mercy!"

"Mercy? You asked for mercy after all you are guilty of?" demanded Bella in a growl so fiercely that Jasper was surprised that she didn't rip what was left of Edward into itty-bitty pieces. "Carlisle and Esme were like my parents and as much as she could annoy me with her obsession with fashion and shopping Alice was my sister. You murdered them you bastard, just because Carlisle threw you out of the family after you nearly took my head off with your blow and all because I broke up with you. If you had just accepted the fact that Jasper and I are mates and let me go like the gentleman your parents supposedly raised you to be none of this would be necessary, but noooooo! The all-knowing, prideful, arrogant, steel bar up his ass, Edward Masen knows best for everyone just because he can read minds. All except mine that is," Bella added with a smirk.

Bella slowly used her newborn strength and crushed the bones in his foot into powder until his foot looked like nothing more than a sack of limp flesh before tearing it off and throwing it into the corner.

"Well shall we crush his kneecaps?" asked Jasper with an evil smirk.

"Oh, yeah," Bella agreed enthusiastically as she used one of her hands like a hammer and brought it down on one of Edward's kneecaps a few times only to hear a resounding crack as the bone cracked under the pressure. "I suppose I won't be able to do that once I'm not a newborn anymore," said Bella sighing regretfully as she listened to Edward's screams dispassionately.

"No, you won't be able be able to crack bones with just a few blows in a few months time or at least not a vampire's bones," The Major agreed listening to Edward scream gleefully.

"What a shame," said Bella sounding disappointed. "Well I might as well take advantage of it while I can I suppose," she added taking Edward's elbow in her hand and using her newborn strength to crush it into powder like she had done with his foot.

Edward who had been screaming constantly for the last hour since Jasper was still using his talent on him yelled even louder and at a much higher pitch as the bones and cartilage in his elbow were crushed into powder and little bits of bone.

"You do good work, darlin'," said The Major admiringly as he watched his mate almost casually crush fuckwad's elbow into nothing but powered bits of cartilage and bone.

"Why thank you, major," Bella smirked as she calmly moved to the joint of his shoulder taking the cattle prod and pressing it into fuckwad's diamond hard flesh while pressing the button.

"SSSSSHHHHHIIIIIITTTTTTTT, CCCCCRRRRUUUUUUUUDDDDDDDDD, FFFFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKKK , CCCCCRRRRRAAAAAAAPPPPPPP, DDDDDDDAAAAAAAMMMMMM," Edward cursed and then switched to what sounded like Italian, then French and finally Spanish. While Bella was doing that Jasper continued to torture him as well and calmly tore off his arm after crushing the elbow into powder.

"You knew how violent I could be when I was furious," The Major told Edward who only had one remaining ear. "And yet you go and attack my mate instead of accepting the fact that she broke up with you and then you doubled that mistake and killed three people I cared for, then tripled it when you nearly killed my mate. You should have been able to tell she was living with us and had been for a while because her scent should have been strong all over the house. So the only conclusion I can come to is that you not only meant to kill Carlisle, Esme and Alice but Bella as well. It's the if I can't have her nobody shall mentality. Admit it!" The Major ordered furiously taking the rest of Edward's arm above the elbow and applying just enough pressure to cause him pain but not enough to pulverize the bones.

"Fine, I admit it," said Edward through gritted teeth. "I wanted her dead for not only rejecting me but for going with you. She couldn't see that you were only leading her on and controlling her emotions."

"Tell me something Eddie," said Bella furiously as she calmly took his penis in her hand and applied just enough pressure for it to be very painful. "Have you ever thought of anyone other then yourself? You might be able to read minds but you sure don't know shit about human nature. Jasper is one of the most honorable men I've ever met and no, it doesn't matter that he is a vampire for we were once human and some of our traits we carry with us into our eternity. Sure he has a violent past but in all the years you've known him you refused to see that people can rise above them and yet you who was changed by one of the most compassionate people I have ever met go and throw his lessons back in his face by deliberately drinking human blood. Yet Jasper was raised no other way and tried his best to change and yet he is met with hatred and contempt from you and the others, except Rose and Emmett never fully accept him or his past. Did you ever really feel a pull towards me? No of course you didn't for if you had felt the pull of the mating bond like I feel with Jasper then you would have wanted to change me instead of giving me a load of crap about how you did want not take away my soul. You are a self-centered, steel rod up your ass, misguided, selfish, prideful, idiot child. "

With every word Bella calmly used the cattle prod on different areas of Edward's flesh and when she was tired of that she went over and picked up the knout and started using it all over what was left of Edward's body not that there was much as his hands, feet, one ear, both eyes, and both his arms that were attached to his elbow had been torn clean off and were so mangled that they were barely recognizable as limbs.

"Hey major hand me that bottle of acid will you I just had a wicked idea," asked Bella with a smirk with an evil glint in her black eyes putting the knout aside.

"What do you have in mind?" asked The Major with a raised eyebrow as he saw the evil glint in his mate's eyes.

Her emotions were ones of glee, deviousness, anticipation as well as eagerness. She was planning something to torture Edward even more and Jasper sent her his curiosity.

"Oh I was just planning to pour some of the acid into the hole that you poo from, sorry I don't remember what's it's called from my school biology lessons and then we could try vivisection although I'm not actually sure if that will work on a vampire with diamond hard skin."

"Those are both lovely ideas," Jasper told his mate with an evil smirk while he thought of the fact that he was one lucky son of a bitch to have such a mate by his side. "I'm pretty sure that vivisection section will work on a vampire as our nails are the only substance that will cut through vampire skin, well that and a werewolf's claws. If we can peal his skin off, I'm sure if we press down hard enough we can disembowel him."

"What a lovely image," Bella murmured looking at the whimpering boy on the table contemporaneously. "Be quiet and take your medicine like a grown man," she added to the sobbing figure on the table. "You brought this on yourself and even I can't put The Major back in his cage once he has been set loose until he is ready to be locked away."

"Which isn't going to be for a while," The Major smirked. "Don't you know that vampires can hold a grudge for eternity? If you don't you should since you've been one for over a hundred years. Even if we hadn't caught you for five hundred years we both would have remembered and you would have gotten the same treatment then that you are getting now."

"Except I bet in five hundred years they would have come out with some things that could be used to torture a vampire even if they were never intended to be used that way," Bella said with an evil face splitting grin.

"True enough," said The Major becoming Jasper for just a minute. "Ever since I came to live with the Cullens you have treated me with hate, disdain and contempt and thought that just because you could read my mind that I was evil just because of my past, but life is more than black and white it also has shades of gray. You never saw how people could change and you always had to be right. The Major has waited almost sixty years to get his revenge and I couldn't lock him away right now even if I wanted to, which I don't. You then compounded your mistake by hurting our mate and that is one thing that we will never forgive you for. We would gladly torture you for the next hundred years or so just for the pain and anguish you have caused the woman we both love.

"Let's get started on your suggestions shall we," Jasper added as The Major once again showed out of his eyes and in the way he spoke.

"Yes, let's," said Bella taking the bottle of acid that Jasper handed her and immediately pouring a few drops into Edward's hole.

"I believe that the hole that you poo from is called an anus darlin'," The Major said as he watched his mate pour several drops into the now named anus.

"Anus is it," Bella murmured not really paying attention as Edward screamed as he was in excruciating pain.

"Noooooooooo stop...just...k...ill...me...now," Edward begged and pleaded his breath coming out in harsh gasps.

"Time to try the vivisection, love?" Bella suggested to The Major ignoring Edward's cries completely.

"Oh yes," said The Major rubbing his hands together in anticipation and excitement.

Bella pulled until Edward was sitting up and then Jasper moved until he stood facing his former brother while Bella moved behind him. After they were both in position almost as one used their fingers like claws and started to dig into Edward's flesh from both the front and the back. At first just the skin came loose as they used their nails to dig but the more pressure they used the more Edward's flesh and bones slowly started being compacted until finally their nails cut through not only skin, but sinew and guts.

"Well what do you know it worked," said Bella in amazement.

"Of course it did as I once saw a vampire dissected during battle," said Jasper pulling out Edward's small intestine, and cut though the lining of the stomach.

Edward had gone silent but Jasper could feel that he was intense pain which delighted the part of him that thrived on violence and pain.

"What should we do next?" asked Bella as she played with his kidneys smashing them into tiny little bits while they were still attached causing Edward even more intense pain.

"Hm," The Major considered for a moment and then took the bottle of acid and poured it into the opening they had made causing Edward to cry out louder then he ever had before.

Both Bella and Jasper listened to Edward's cries dispassionately and then tried to decide what to do next.

And this is how it went for the next two days with Edward begging and pleading for them to just kill him and Jasper and Bella totally ignoring him continuing with the torture totally disregarding Edward's words.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"I think I'm ready to put Edward out of his misery completely," Bella suggested tentatively to Jasper a month later. "It's not out of pity or remorse, it's just that I am ready to move on with my life and putting an end to Edward is part of that," she added quickly.

"You want to close that chapter of your life?" Jasper suggested gently completely understanding.

"Exactly," said Bella. "Edward is the only loose end I haven't tied up and I'm ready to do that. Besides we need to get to looking for places to live so we can set up the computer equipment the Volturi are going to send us. My newborn year is almost at an end and will be in just a month or so."

"I'm torn," Jasper admitted after a moment. "Part of me would like to keep torturing him for the next year or two not only for what he did to Alice and the others but mostly for what he did to you."

"You can't keep holding onto this anger, Jasper," Bella told her mate stroking his arm tenderly in an intimate gesture.

"Haven't you ever heard that vampires are an unforgiving race?" asked Jasper mockingly. "Most of us can hold grudge until the end of our existence. It seems to be a characteristic of our species. I can forgive most things," he added quietly but intensely breathing in his mate's scent which calmed him down enormously, "but hurting you is not one of them. I know that all of us have faults but Edward went ballistic simply because you broke up with him and his pride got hurt. That is what has led to this whole thing in the first place. If Edward had just left well enough alone and let you go like the gentleman he was raised to be then none of this would have happened."

Bella contemplated for a moment then said, "But don't you want to move on with your life and start your existence with me? One free of Edward Masen? By torturing Edward for who knows how long we put our lives on hold and even if he'll never know it in a way he wins."

Jasper was silent for a while thinking of his mate's words then nodded decisively. "You're right," said Jasper finally breaking the silence after coming to a decision. "So I agree that it is time to end to the existence of one Edward Anthony Masen, we've tortured him enough. We'll have to check with Emmett and Rosalie and see if they're done torturing him first though and if they say yes we can all tear him apart and feed his limbs into a fire. As for looking into places to live I've already made some inquiries."

"Oh what kind of inquiries?" asked Bella looking interested.

"How would you feel about living overseas?" asked Jasper.

"Where overseas?" asked Bella cocking her head.

"Well I was thinking Switzerland as I remember what you said about want to explore the country," said Jasper. "They have beautiful architecture there as well as lots of things to do and see."

"I don't speak swiss," said Bella.

"Actually there are four main languages in Switzerland, German, Italian, French and Romansch. There are other languages spoken of course but those are the main ones. Besides there is no need to worry though as most of the residents will speak at least a little English. Besides it won't take you anytime at all to pick up the languages under my tutelage and your now perfect memory."

"Sounds good, cowboy," said Bella kissing him. "I would love to live in Switzerland, for a few years anyway."

"Good, I was hoping you would say that as I've already told Jenks to get us visas so we can live in Switzerland," said Jasper.

Bella knew that Jenks was Jasper's crooked attorney who was good at forging just about any kind of identification you could want. He could produce passports, visas, birth certificates, social security numbers, drivers licences or even bank records and make it all perfectly legit, that would pass any kind of scrutiny whether private or governmental.

"Now all we have to do is find a place to live," said Bella.

"I've already got several possibilities but I wanted to ask your opinion before I made any concrete decisions," said Jasper.

"Thanks for including me," said Bella gratefully.

"I would never not include you," Jasper assured her pushing a lock of her mahogany hair behind her ear. "You are my mate and any decisions there are we make together. It's all for one and one for all," he added teasingly.

"The Three Musketeers, Jasper?" asked Bella laughing a little. "You're quoting The Three Musketeers to me?"

"Well I made you laugh didn't I?" asked Jasper.

Bella nodded.

"Well that was the whole point," said Jasper. "To make you laugh a little as you have been to serious lately."

"Thank you, Jasper, I love you," said Bella kissing him passionately her tongue demanding entrance to his mouth which he gladly granted her.

"I love you to, so much," said Jasper when they broke the kiss. "You've made my life complete."

"And you have done the same for mine," said Bella trailing little nips and open mouth kisses from his earlobe down to his neck.

Jasper responded immediately as the skin behind his earlobe was very sensitive to the touch of his mate and Bella knew it.

"Oh you are in for it now," Jasper breathed harshly his voice hoarse with passion as Bella continued to play with his ear, licking and nipping it.

"I certainly hope so," Bella purred seductively in his ear as she continued to use her teeth and tongue to drive Jasper wild with desire. Bella licked her way down her mate's chest and bit and licked his nipples into little peaks.

Jasper groaned and fisted his hands into his mate's long brown hair trying to control himself but the pressure was building quickly and he knew he would soon be going over the edge.

Bella quit kissing his chest and moved her way down to his manhood licking the tip which made Jasper groan as the sensations of pleasure were so intense that he was surprised he hadn't already come.

"Yum!" said Bella taking Jasper's very large manhood into her mouth and sucking on it. "You taste absolutely divine."

Jasper let out a continuous low, rumbling purr as his mate's warm, wet mouth caused a wonderful suction and it was only seconds later that his orgasm ripped through him and he came. Bella swallowed every drop and when Jasper's manhood was empty released it where it immediately stood at attention again.

"Damn! Do you have any idea what you do to me woman?" asked Jasper mostly rhetorically for he knew that his mate knew damn well what she was doing and the effect she had on him.

"The same thing you do to me," Bella purred as she trailed her fingertips lightly down his chest rubbing his scars a little.

Jasper growled as his mate touched his scars for she was the only person who had never been disgusted by them well except for Peter and Char, and not only that but touched and caressed them regularly never feeling an ounce of disgust or disdain when she saw how scarred he was. In fact all he ever felt from her was her constant love, devotion, and adoration. Her love for him was like a deep, depthless, ocean current, that had no beginning or ending.

She made sure to to let him know every single day that she thought that he was the sexiest man on the planet and no one else could or ever would compare.

To her he wasn't a man with a violent past or hundreds of scars, no to her he was simply a man that fought when necessary to protect those he loved and who was the man she loved with every atom of her body, her heart, her mind and her soul for the rest of time.

Jasper felt every single sensation and emotion that his mate was causing and as the pressure began to build again he flipped them over to where he was on top and started to kiss her all over her body. He started kissing her on her mating mark which he knew was extra sensitive to his touch. Bella groaned and withered beneath him as he trailed kisses and licks down to her breast which he then took in his hands massaging them. Her breasts were round, soft yet strong at the same time while being the perfect size to fit into his hands. He kissed her nipples and then trailed his way down to her thighs which he loved to place little nips, kisses and licks along as he knew that her inner thighs especially were extra sensitive to his attentions just like her mating mark that had made her, his for all time. Every time they made love they always made sure to look into each others eyes at the end so both could see the love, lust, desire, adoration and passion in both their ruby red gazes so there would be no doubt how they felt for each other.

It wasn't more than a couple of minutes later as Jasper worshiped his mate's body that the pleasure built past the point of no return and the love they both felt cascaded over them so strong that Jasper barely had time to ram the general into Bella's body before he released and it wasn't more then a couple of seconds later that Bella followed him over the edge of the abyss that was their passion and love for each other.

"Wow," Bella murmured when she had come down from her orgasm. "I don't know how but every time we make love it just gets better and better, more intense."

"I believe it's because we are mate's," Jasper said.

"You never felt this way with Alice?"

"No, never," Jasper assured her beginning to trail kisses down her neck and chest and Bella quickly quit talking as she felt the pressure begin to build again.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

The next day it was agreed by all four of the former to end the existence of Edward Anthony Masen.

"We've had our fun," said Rose. "I mean if we really wanted to we could keep on torturing him for years, but I'm ready to move on with my life."

"Me to," Bella agreed. "I don't feel the least sorry for him, you know? But on the other hand I am ready to tie up this last loose end from my human life and move on."

"That's exactly how I feel," said Emmett. "He did hurt all of us when he did murder three members of his own family and I don't feel sorry at all for what we did to him but it is time to put the past where it belongs and that is in the past."

"Wow, that's very profound for you, Emmett," Bella teased him.

"Hey just because I'm usually easygoing and laidback doesn't mean I'm stupid," Emmett protested in a growl punching Bella in the arm playfully.

"I never said you were, it just isn't like you to be so serious that's all," Bella placated him.

Emmett growled again and playfully ruffled Bella's hair.

"So is it decided?" asked Jasper.

"Well everyone has given their opinion on the matter except for you," Rose told Jasper.

"Well, I'm kind of divided," Jasper admitted running a hand through his long blond hair. "Half of me would like to continue to torture him for the next year or so on the other hand I am also ready to move on with my life. I think the part that wants to continue to torture him is The Major making his opinion known," he added dryly. "I think, however, that I agree that it is time to end the existence of Edward Masen. I'm afraid that The Major disagrees as he isn't a very forgiving fellow, it's not part of his personality."

"But The Major is part of you," said Emmett not quite understanding.

"That's true enough, but all of us, both humans and vampires have violence in our souls. Violence is part of human nature after all and that is even more true as a vampire. Just because some of us control our violent natures better doesn't mean that it isn't there and you can think of The Major as the violent part of my personality. The Major was pissed when Edward hit Bella and left that bruise and even more pissed when he discovered her outside the burning Cullen house. Now imagine that the part of my personality that is The Major and think of him in a white hot rage seeing his mate laying on the ground with most of her bones broken and barely alive. You all know my past and you know how I can get when I'm angry and fuckwad hurt something very precious to me and to him. What would you do, if Rose was hurt or vice versa of course, especially if she was very badly hurt?"

"Want to tear him to shreds and torture him for a year or two," Emmett admitted, seeming to finally understand.

"Me to," Rose chimed in.

"And me I would torture whoever hurt Jasper as badly as I was," added Bella

The four of them were silent for a few minutes.

"So are we in agreement?" asked Emmett finally.

"Yes," the other three answered.

"Good we should all be there when fuckwad meets his end," said Bella. "Let him see that not only has he not torn us apart but we've grown stronger and more united because of his actions not less."

"Wow! Poetic much?" asked Rose with a small smirk.

"So sue me," said Bella sticking out her tongue at her sister. "It's true when you think about it because when somebody kills someone you love sometimes it can tear what's left apart but in this case it didn't happen as we banded together and are even closer then we were before everything happened. Haven't you ever heard, 'united we stand divided we fall?' This saying was first written by John Dickinson who was a politician and lawyer from Philadelphia in the late 18th century."

"All right enough with the history lesson," demanded Emmett. "Where you learn all this stuff I don't know and I don't want to."

"Maybe if you read more instead of playing all those video games you might learn something," Rose told her husband smacking him on the back of the head for being rude to Bella.

"Ow!" Emmett protested looking wounded.

Jasper and Bella watched Rose and Emmett argue and started to laugh at the way Rose corrected Emmett's behavior

"It's not funny!" Emmett protested sulkily.

"Yes it is," the other three disagreed still laughing.

Emmett pretended to sulk for another few seconds and then gave in and laughed as well.

The other three nodded and then all was a quiet for few minutes as everyone contemplated what tomorrow would bring and that was the end of Edward Anthony Masen Cullen from this plane of existence.

End Flashback

Both Chris and Sofia continued to get better control of their bloodlust and it wasn't long before both of them could be around humans all day just so long as they were well fed first. Also both Jasper had been teaching them how to hunt, well Sofia mainly since Jasper had already shown Chris but that didn't mean he couldn't use a few pointers as different environments called for different tactics.

Jasper and Bella showed the twins all the favorite hangout spots for criminals of all sorts like muggers, druggies, rapists and thieves and also taught them how to lure them out into an alley and then how to get rid of the evidence afterwards.

"See that guy over there that is bothering that woman?" said Sofia immediately tilting her head in their direction.

"Yes," said Jasper as he continued to look for his own meal.

"I can just imagine what he is saying to her just from the look of annoyance on her face. He's more than likely trying to pick her up and she's not biting so he continues to annoy her and you know it's people like that that piss me. I had several boys try to pick me up when I was still human and when I told them I wasn't interested they kept pestering me for weeks until I finally lost my temper and punched them. This guy reminds me of those college boys and I believe I'll make him part of my meal."

"I remember those incidents," said Chris. "There was this one guy in particular that wouldn't take a I'm not interested for an answer as no one ever turned down the captain of the football team or at least not until Sofia anyway. He seemed to take Sofia's answer as a challenge or of her playing hard to get. He didn't seem to understand that some girls really weren't interested in dating him as he had never been rejected before."

"It finally took Chris punching him in the nose and me kneeing him where it hurt the most to get him to back off," Sofia remembered.

Jasper shuddered as he knew exactly where Sofia was talking about and he knew from experience how much getting kneed there hurt a lot worse then being hit anywhere else, even for one of the undead. "I hope I never make you mad enough to do that to me."

"Oh don't worry about me doing that to you," Sofia assured him with a smile. "You're married so I don't see you following me around annoying me to death by asking me for a date."

Bella and Chris both chuckled at that and Jasper grinned. "No I don't think that is a possibility considering I love my wife very much," said Jasper giving Bella a hug.

"So do you know how you are going to lure that guy to follow you?" asked Bella not at all jealous as she knew that Jasper belonged to her heart, body, soul and mind. "I can tell you a few tricks that I have picked up over the years if you are interested."

"Well all right," said Sofia looking unsure of herself as she had never paid attention to her looks although like Rosalie she was gorgeous. She had been gorgeous even as a human and now as a vampire she was even more so.

"All you really have to do is walk past him and make sure he sees you for if he is the kind of man you think he is he will follow you and leave that woman alone. As vampires we are naturally even more attractive then we were as humans and we have certain traits about us that make mere human men and women lust after us even if we aren't trying to get their attention. Most humans, even if they sense we are dangerous and therefore avoid us, don't stop lusting after us as well even if most of them never act on that lust since that sense of self-preservation keeps them away."

"But men like that cloud their already weak senses with alcohol and drugs and so don't sense the predator in us or if they do they ignore it as a figment of their imaginations," Jasper added. "Most humans have no idea how dangerous it is out there in the universe much less the danger of things right here on Earth and so have no idea that their short, fragile human lives can be taken in the blink of an eye."

"I would think in a way that would be a good thing," Chris observed while looking around for his own meal. "If humans are unaware of the danger then they will not be on the lookout for it and therefore luring some human out so we can feed off them is easier."

"There is that," Jasper agreed while keeping an eye out for his own meal.

"Why don't you go ahead and lure that man out into the alley," Bella suggested to Sofia. "I can tell that you are starting to get really thirsty and this will at least help with the thirst until you can find somebody else to feed off of. You don't need to go to long before you feed anyway as we wouldn't want you to attack someone in full view of all these people as that would be very bad."

The twins were down to two people every five to six days now instead of three every two or three.

Sofia nodded and got up from the table going to the bar for a drink that would just be dumped on the floor or into a nearby plant. As she walked towards the man she had targeted she pretended to not be paying attention to anything except reaching her destination which was right past where the man was annoying the woman. As Sofia got closer to the man she began to pick up what he was saying to the woman and the woman's responses.

"Oh come on, baby..." the man was saying. "I know you want me."

"Why don't you go pester someone else?" asked the woman beginning to sound exasperated, angry and annoyed all rolled into one.

Normally if she had still been human she wouldn't have been able to hear what the man and woman were saying as she was still a good fifteen feet away and between the music and all the loud talking of a packed club no mere human's hearing would have been able to pick up their voices much less their individual words.

"Come on, baby, why don't we go somewhere private so we can talk?" asked the man continuing to persist.

"Maybe because I'm not interested?" the woman responded sharply. "You are nothing but an annoying, pain in the ass who preys on women and I have much better things to do with my time then listen to anything you have to say. The truth is that you remind me of someone I used to date and since I dumped him like yesterday's trash why would I pick up someone else who reminds me of him? Now go away before I call the cops and report you for harassment."

Sofia immediately liked the woman a great deal as she had guts and said what she thought without letting politeness get in the way. Politeness had it's place but when someone was being annoying and trying to pick you up was not one of those times.

"Oh come on, baby, I'll show you I'm nothing like your old boyfriend if you'll just give me a chance," said the man not taking the hint which either made him very stupid or very stubborn and both were bad traits to have if not properly utilized in more constructive ways.

"Not in this lifetime," said the woman snorting in contempt.

Sofia finally reached the couple and walked right past them so that she was in the man's field of vision and although she didn't spare them a glance her ears were peeled. She reached the bar and ordered herself a drink showing her ID to prove that she was of legal age. The man stopped talking to the woman and Sofia could practically feel his eyes boring into her back as she accepted her drink and headed back to the table. Sofia didn't even have to look to know that the man was following her with his eyes watching her every move.

Sofia sat back down at the table with her drink and tried to ignore the sensation that was creeping up her back.

"Well you certainly got the man's attention," said Chris softly sniggering a little as he watched the man who had stopped annoying the woman and was watching his sister like a hawk with a very predatory look in his dark eyes.

"Well that was the intention wasn't it?" asked Sofia who didn't turn around as she didn't want the man to know that she had noticed how he looked at her.

"So what are you going to do?" asked Jasper curiously.

"Well I thought in a few minutes Chris and I could pretend to have a fight and then I could head out to the alley and pretend to be crying at what he said to me. I'm sure it won't take more than that for the man to follow me."

"You're right about that," said Jasper. "I can feel his emotions and you definitely spiked his interest when you walked right into his field of vision to get your drink."

"And since you are using your talent on all of us to make us look human he probably won't sense the predator in you," Bella added. "Just look at that man that bothered you when you were out seeing the Liberty Bell and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier a few months ago, you were disguised then to and that man walked right up to Sofia to pester her for a date without sensing anything unusual. We haven't really had a chance to test whether or not the illusions that make us all look human also cause people to not sense that we are different."  
"And now is a good opportunity to test whether or not it was just that one man or whether Sofia's illusions make it so that other humans don't sense the predator in us," said Jasper immediately catching on to what his wife was suggesting.

"Exactly," said Bella. "If Sofia's illusions make us appear like everyone else it would be nice to get out and go anywhere we want without people avoiding us. We could even make some human friends without them suspecting we were different if we wanted."

"And it will also be good for hunting," said Sofia trying to ignore the back of her neck prickling because the man was still watching her. "No one is going to think anything unusual about a supposedly human girl going into a bar for a drink for instance and if someone disappears from one of those places no one is going to think that a woman had anything to do with it even if I am noticed at all as places like that tend to be extremely busy anyway so as long as I don't draw attention to myself it would be good for me to get a meal if I'm on my own."

"Or even if we come as a group," said Chris as he finally spotted a good prospect for his own meal.

"Exactly," said Sofia as she subtly dumped her drink onto the floor. "I'll see you in a few minutes as I'm starting to get really thirsty and I think it's about time I teach this guy it isn't nice to harass a woman. Ready Chris?" she added.

"Sure sis," said Chris taking his eyes off his target long enough to play his role for his sister. "Sofia you listen to me," Chris began sounding angry and annoyed. "I promised our parents I'd look after you before they died and that is just what I am going to do."

Sofia snorted, "Please it's not like you're older than me, we are twins after all and if you want to get technical I am actually five minutes older than you. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself thank you and I don't need my nosy twin brother horning in on my life."

Chris and Sofia argued for form's sake for another few minutes before Sofia rose from the table angrily and stormed towards the door that led to the alleyway.

The man Chris noticed immediately left the bar and followed Sofia into the alley. Chris wasn't worried about his sister in the least as almost nothing could harm a vampire and Sofia was more than capable of taking care of herself. That man wouldn't know what had hit him and would within the next few minutes be very dead.

"I think I'm going to go find me a meal," Chris told Jasper and Bella.

"We'll see you when you get back," said Bella waving him away not worried about him going off by himself as Chris was perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

"It's so nice to be alone," Bella sighed putting her head on her mate's shoulder as Chris disappeared from sight.

"We're not exactly alone," said Jasper teasingly kissing the top of his wife's head.

"I know we are surrounded by humans but none of them is likely to come and bother us and with Sofia and Chris gone for the moment this is as alone as we've been in some time."

"True enough, except for the times that Chris and Sofia have gone off by themselves to test their control we haven't been by ourselves in over a year," said Jasper.

"The twins have been doing so well much better then even I really expected," said Bella.

"Yes they have," Jasper agreed. "And I believe this proves our theory that because they knew about vampires and weren't changed against their will...as both of us have said on several occasions."

"It's to bad we can't test it out by changing someone else who knows about vampires into one and see how well they do if they know about supernatural creatures beforehand. After all you might just have been lucky when you changed me and the twins and gotten three humans who just took to the change well but maybe sometime in the near future we'll have a chance to test our theory out again."

"I don't believe in luck especially when it comes to changing humans into newborn vampires as you well know," said Jasper dryly. "If it was luck like you think why wasn't I lucky at least once back when I was changing humans into vampires for Maria, considering I changed hundreds? None of them knew what was happening to them so they were just your typical, uncontrollable newborns and yet the three times I change someone who know about vampires and who weren't changed against their will wake up more coherent and not at all wild or uncontrollable. I would think that would prove our theory right there."

"I suppose you're right," Bella finally agreed after thinking about it for a few minutes. The two of them were talking so quietly that there was no way a human could have picked up their conversation even if the club hadn't been packed to bursting with humans. That many humans in one place tended to make a lot of noise so as long as they kept their voices down to a level below normal human hearing they should be safe to talk about things which humans shouldn't hear.

"Besides I have no plans to change any other humans into vampires anytime in the near future as I think with the addition of the twins our family is absolutely perfect. Also how often are we going to come across a human that we are both fond enough of to do that to? I am not going to go around and change just ordinary people into vampires even if they are gravely injured or dying like Carlisle did."

"What if Sofia or Chris found their mates and those mates were human would you do it then even without the human's consent?"

"Yes," Jasper answered without hesitation. "I would change whoever it was into a vampire even without their consent for I still remember how I felt when you nearly died in that fire when you were still human. When I came home and saw the house on fire for a brief time I wasn't certain if you were alive I felt like my soul had been ripped away and I knew with an earthshaking certainty in that instant that if you were truly dead then I would follow you into death for I could not continue to exist without you. I have come to realize over the century we've been together that this feeling is normal for a vampire who has found their mate and then that mate has been killed. In fact Marcus is the only one I have ever heard of that survived the loss of a mate. If one of the twins does find a mate that is human I would not want them to go though the loss of them if something were to happen to that person because we would almost certainly lose the twin as well."

"Well, I'm sure we don't need to worry about it anytime soon after all you didn't find me for over a century and a half and Carlisle didn't find Esme for over two hundred years."

"But Rosalie found Emmett within a few years of being turned into a vampire and Peter found Charlotte within ten years so the same thing could happen to one of the twins as well."

"Well, let's not worry about it until we have to," Bella suggested but didn't have a chance to finish what she was going to say as Sofia came back and sat down in her seat.

"Where's Chris?" asked Sofia.

"He'll be back in a few minutes as he went to get himself some dinner," Jasper answered.

"Oh, okay," Sofia responded.

When Chris returned a few minutes later he looked much better and he sat down in his seat beside his sister without comment.

"Feeling better?" asked Jasper.

"Much, thanks, I got a couple of good ones and it was just what I needed to feel more myself."

"Good then you two can stay here and save our table while Bella and I go hunt up our own dinner."

"Sure," said Sofia watching as Jasper and Bella rose from the table and disappeared into the crowd to find themselves some dinner.

Flashback

Jasper fingered the ring in his pocket and tried to figure out when to would be best to ask Bella to marry him. He had bought the ring one day when he had been spending time with Peter and Emmett and Bella had been spending time with Rose, Jane and Heidi. Jasper was glad that his mate had made such good friends with with not only Jane and Heidi but Demetri as he knew she needed more companionship. She needed somebody who understood her and someone who she could talk to about things that she would be uncomfortable bringing up with him.

He, Peter, and Emmett had gone into Florence that day on that specific errand while Bella and the girls had gone to Livorno. Once Jasper had entered the jewelery store that did custom pieces he had had little trouble finding something that he thought Bella would love. It was a diamond ring but the stone had been cut in the shape of a heart and was three carats set in a white platinum eternity band. On either side of the diamond were rubies of one carat each and the platinum band was set with a combination of sapphires and emeralds each a half carat.

"She will love it," Peter had told Jasper with the certainty of vow when he had seen him looking at it. "My niece will say yes," he had added. Jasper had looked at Peter and could tell that this was just something he knew which meant his talent was at work so Jasper had bought the ring as he knew Peter was never wrong.

Now just to get up the courage to actually propose.

So here they were driving up to the Amalfi Coast as Jasper had suggested it so they could have some time alone and so Bella could get out of the villa as she hadn't left it often except to hunt and a few shopping trips with Rose, Jane and Heidi and Char.

"It's so good to get away from everyone," Bella sighed as she snuggled into Jasper's side as he drive them towards their destination. "We haven't had much time with just you and me with this whole Edward situation."

Jasper put an arm around her while keeping one hand on the wheel, "Well now that Edward is taken care of hopefully we'll have some time for just you and me," said Jasper.

"That would be nice," said Bella as she raised her head just enough to kiss his cheek.

"How would you feel about us living alone?" asked Jasper. "Rose and Emmett can get their own place and come and visit us as often as they like, Peter and Char to of course. It's not like I don't love them but I've had to live with Rose and Emmett for the past sixty years and they can be quite...demonstrative with their affections."

"That's the polite way of saying that they have sex, loudly and often and don't care who knows it," said Bella bluntly as she had accidentally come into the living room and they had been laying on the couch Emmett on top of Rosalie and they had been making out rather heavily and she had gotten out of there at vampire speed before she had seen anymore.

Jasper coughed trying to contain his laughter at Bella's rather crude description, even if it was true he had never heard it put quite like that. "That's a rather crude way of putting it darlin'," said Jasper finally breaking into laughter  
"Blame it on Emmett and Uncle Peter," said Bella with a small smirk. "They do talk like that all the time and don't seem to care if I pick up their rather crude language. Besides the only reason I never talked like that before, well at least not often, was because I was to polite even to people like Mike Newton who annoyed me. I'm not saying being polite doesn't have it's place but so does being rude and speaking crudely. I blame Edward mostly for that change in me as I let him push me around and let him treat me like some kind of damn pawn, in a fucking chess match. That will never happen again with anyone. Even Emmett is going to have to learn that I have certain boundaries that he better not cross if he wants to keep his limbs intact."

"Well I'm not sure Emmet is ever really going to learn his lesson," said Jasper as he sent his mate his admiration. "I mean he might not tease you for a while but you can't ever stop him entirely from doing or saying certain things. Emmett has never really cared about personal boundaries."

"He'll care about mine or he will suffer the consequences," said Bella with a small smile playing on her lips as she considered what she could do to Emmett when he got out of line which would happen again, eventually.

"Just do me a favor and don't do any permanent damage to him," said Jasper as he tried and failed to contain his amusement.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't do that to Rose," said Bella seriously, but with a small half smile playing on the corner of her mouth.

"Let my get this straight, you don't want to offend Rose so you won't do any permanent damage to her husband but if she wasn't in the picture and he was you would do something to irreversibly injure him?"

Bella seemed to contemplate her mate's words for a few seconds and Jasper could tell that she was really considering how to reply. "No I wouldn't do any permanent damage to him," Bella finally admitted with a sly smile. "I love my brother bear, a lot, but he is going to have to learn that I do have certain boundaries and if that means letting him think I'll do something permanent to him if he crosses them well let him."

Jasper smirked and sent Bella his amusement.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

It was a little later that they arrived at their destination and Jasper parked the car. Bella looked around and saw that they were out in the middle of nowhere and it smelled as if no humans had been on this particular part of the coast in quite some time. Jasper got a blanket out of the car as he had come prepared and spread it out on the ground. "It's beautiful out here," said Bella as she lay down on the blanket her head on Jasper's chest.

"I thought that this would be a good spot for us to just relax and get away from everyone for a few hours. We've been under a lot of pressure lately but you have the added stress of being a newborn and dealing with all the changes that come with it and even if you've been doing very well you still need a chance to relax."

"Dealing with Edward has helped a lot," said Bella as she idly doodled designs on Jasper's bare chest as he had taken his shirt off as soon as they had arrived. "And since we fed his parts into the fire we will no longer have to deal with him."

"Let's talk about something more pleasant then the fate of Edward Cullen," Jasper suggested.

"Oh what do you want to talk about?" asked Bella with a quirk of an eyebrow looking up at him.

"Well I thought you could ask me some questions about my past as you haven't had a chance to do that since you were turned."

"Did I ask you questions as a human?" asked Bella curiously.

"Oh yes but I doubt what I told you at the time you remember," said Jasper. "I told you some things but I also said that there were things we could talk about after you were changed as I didn't want to say some things twice."

Bella considered her mate's words for a moment then nodded decisively to herself, "Alright, there are some things that I've been curious about but didn't feel like it was my right to ask."

"You can ask me anything your heart desires and I will always answer it as best I can," Jasper told her playing with a piece of her hair unconsciously. "You are my mate and have a right to know all about my past."

Bella considered what to ask first for a few minutes then asked, "What color were your eyes when you were human?"

Jasper looked surprised at the question as he figured she would as something about his years with Maria but after a moment answered, "If I remember right they were a kind of bluish grey."

"Like the color of a stormy sky?" Bella suggested.

"Exactly like that," said Jasper not surprised that Bella had come up with a very accurate description.

"What was your favorite hobby when you were human?" asked Bella.

"I don't remember if I even had one," said Jasper honestly.

"And what is your favorite hobby now that you are a vampire?"

"Well I have several things I like to do in order to relax," said Jasper.

"Such as?" asked Bella.

"Well I play guitar and I know I didn't learn until after I escaped from Maria."

"Are you any good?" asked Bella sounding intrigued.

"Well Peter and Char seem to think I am," said Jasper. "I haven't had a chance to play in a while though as most of my guitars are in storage which is a good thing or they would have been destroyed in the fire."

"Let me guess they are worth a lot of money?"

"Well I won't deny that some of them have huge monetary value but mostly I keep them because of the sentimentality. Peter and Char gave me one of them and although it is worth a lot of money it is mainly because of the fact that they gave it to me that I am glad I didn't have it with me at the Cullen Mansion."

"That's so sweet," said Bella. "I learn something new about you everyday."

"I'm sure we'll spend the next hundred years really learning about each other, our likes and dislikes," said Jasper.

"Do you sing?" asked Bella.

"Yes, I sing and Char seems to think I have a beautiful voice."

"You'll have to sing and play for me sometime as I would love to hear you," Bella requested.

"I'll be glad to darlin'," said Jasper very pleased with her request as he hadn't had time to play or sing in a long time. "Perhaps when we move somewhere more permanent I can get my guitars out of storage and shipped to me."

"Do you play any other instruments?" asked Bella.

"Well I did learn to play the flute although I don't love it as much as guitar."

"How many languages do you speak?" Bella asked next.

"Well let's see," said Jasper having to really think about it. "I speak Italian, Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Irish, Japanese and Swedish. Oh and a smattering of Latin, Arabic, Chinese, Welsh and Vietnamese."

"You speak thirteen languages?" asked Bella her astonishment plain.

"Well only eight of those fluently and the other five I can get by in but never had the opportunity to learn them in-depth and just picked up words and phrases here and there."

"You're something else, Jasper," said Bella shaking her head. "I could never learn that many languages."

"Sure you can," Jasper assured her. "I guarantee you by the time you get to be my age you will be able to speak at least five to ten languages or more, fluently. You can pick a lot of it up just by actually living in the country and I can teach you the rest and help you with your accent so you sound like a native."

Bella shook her head silently disagreeing as she didn't believe she had the capacity to learn so many languages and keep them all straight and speak them fluently.

"Now none of this self-doubt," Jasper told her hugging her to him silently cursing her mother in his head. "You forget that you have a vampire brain now and once you learn something you'll never forget it so once you know the words and how to pronounce them you'll always remember."

Bella didn't comment but Jasper could tell that she didn't really believe it. He supposed he would just have to prove it to her.

"What was your favorite color?" asked Bella, "When you were human," she added.

"I don't remember," said Jasper.

"Tell me about your family as a human," Bella requested.

"Well I don't remember much just that I had a brother. I remember growing up on a farm and how we always helped our father with the chores."

"You grew up in Texas right?" asked Bella.

"Yes, just outside of Houston."

"And what do you remember of your mother?"

"Just that she had a beautiful voice and she used to sing me and my younger brother to sleep. I remember being afraid of storms and how she would also sing to both of us during them until we fell asleep."

Jasper continued to recount what little he could remember about his parents and his brother which wasn't a whole lot unfortunately.

"What was it like serving Maria," Bella finally asked after a few minutes of silence as after Jasper had finished telling her what he remembered of his past as she lay on her side with her head on his chest.

Jasper was silent for a few minutes trying to gather his thoughts as he had somehow known that this particular question was coming.

"I've already told you about how I was changed, do you remember?" asked Jasper.

"Yes," said Bella.

"Well when I woke up I was of course a ravenous newborn and three humans were immediately thrown into my cell. They appeared to be a family, a man, a woman and a child that couldn't have been more then ten. I tried to resist as I didn't want to kill them but it wasn't long until my vampire instincts overcame me and I killed them in order so my throat would quit burning. After that Maria came into my cell and told me that I was now a vampire, something out of myth and legend but wasn't supposed to be real. She also told me that humans were our food source and that I shouldn't feel guilty for needing to eat."

Bella listened as Jasper recounted his years with Maria and although she tried not to she started to feel a boiling anger at the woman who had changed her Jasper into a vampire in the first place and then made him fight in skirmishes not to mention throwing those humans into his cell right after he had finished the change so he would have no choice but to kill them as even she knew that when you first awoke from the transformation you were ravenous and your throat seared so bad that you just couldn't help yourself and fed off whatever human was nearby.

"Why are you so furious darlin'?" asked Jasper trying not to let her know that she was afraid of the answer and that it was him she was so furious at.

"I'm furious at what that bitch Maria, did to you," Bella immediately answered sending out such strong waves of anger and hate that if he had been human he would have been doubled over from the strength of them. "I'm not sorry that you were changed into a vampire or that you survived the southern wars because I never would have met you otherwise and I wouldn't be as happy as I am now, but I am so mad at the things that no good, sadistic bitch made you do. Not only did she make you kill that family but she made you create newborns and then kill them off after they were no longer of use and that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg," Bella ranted. "Of course I know that our experiences make us who we are and I'm glad that you survived and turned into the good man whom I love more and more every day, but if I ever get my hands on that no good, conniving, sick, evil, spawn of the devil I will make what we did to Edward look like a walk in the park in comparison. People like her should be put down like the dogs they are."

Jasper listened as Bella ranted and his fear that she would hate or fear him dissipated and the love he felt for her grew even more and he hadn't thought that was possible as the love he had for her was already as deep as the sea and all-consuming. She had already been the center of his universe, and his very reason for existing but now his love, respect and adoration of her grew as just like the Grinch whose heart had grown three sizes in the Grinch who Stole Christmas, his love for her expanded until it wanted to burst out of his chest and consume them both in its cleansing fire.

"I love you," Jasper told her his voice thick with emotion as he kissed her temple reverently. She never stopped surprising him and he hoped that was aways true. "Even after all the things I told you that you still accept me and love me means everything to me."

"Jasper those thing were not your fault as they were out of your control," Bella told him gently sitting up and looking directly into his ruby red gaze so he could see that she really and truly did accept his past, caressing his cheek lovingly. "You forget that I know what being a newborn is like especially right after you have just woken up. I mean I'm sure the only reason I never killed someone innocent is because you kept me away from humans. It more than likely would have been a different story entirely if you hadn't been so cautious and able to think so fast on your feet as to get me somewhere away from all those beating heart and the smell of blood.

"I know that if I had, had three humans shoved in a cell with me and had no idea what was happening that I wouldn't have been able to resist their blood either. Even if I had resisted for a little while eventually I would have been so thirsty that I would have fed on them whether I had wanted to or not. You were made by that bitch just so you could fight in her bloody war for feeding territory and were bitten for that purpose without even a by your leave or even realizing what was happening to you. You've got to stop expecting me to reject you every time you tell me something about your past. You were bitten in a different time and it was the only way you knew as you were just going by what you were told. I am just glad that you survived," she added kissing his nose and then his lips, "but I assure you if I ever get my hands on that spawn of the devil she is going to wish she had never been born for if I have my way I am going to torture her for years or even decades for what she did to you." Her voice was so venomous, full of anger and hate that Jasper was extremely glad it wasn't him she hated so much.

"That you care enough to do that for me means the world to me," said Jasper kissing her forehead, her nose and finally her lips.

"Of course I care," Bella told him leaning her head against his shoulder from where she was sitting on his lap. "What she did killing all those innocent people just so she could gain feeding grounds is despicable. Not to mention how many people she turned into vampires or made you turn into vampires just so she would have soldiers to fight in those skirmishes is disgusting. She took people away from their families just so she could have an army of vampires to do her bidding and what's even worse is you were forced to cull most of them after their first year and their newborn strength waned. Just for that alone I would torture her for a year but for what she did to you I could happily torture her for the next decade or two and do things to her that would make her beg for mercy which I would never grant until I was damn good and ready."

"Well you might get your chance one day as she is still out there," Jasper told her. "Unfortunately she escaped when Aro and some of the guards came to put an end to the southern wars. It was only sheer luck that I was in the right place, at the right time so that Aro decided to enlist my services instead of killing me."

"Your reputation probably proceeded you," said Bella feeling quite proud of her mate's fearsome reputation. She knew that no one hurt him or somebody he loved and lived to tell about it and even in the unlikely event the person or persons escaped vampire's had very long memories and could hold grudges until the end of time. "I'm sure you could have taken out most of the guard if they had laid a hand on you."

"True enough of course Jane wasn't with them and neither was her twin brother which is one of the reasons I think that Aro decided to request my services since my talent has similar elements to Jane's. We can both cause incredible pain but while that's all she can do mine is a little more versatile," Jasper admitted quietly. "And you're right that Aro more than likely knew that as I could feel threads of fear and awe coming from the guards as well as him."

They were both silent for awhile as each of them needed time and space to process their thoughts and emotions.

"So anything else you want to know?" asked Jasper trying to lighten the suddenly sober mood as he absentmindedly ran a hand up and down Bella side.

"Well you asked me the places I wanted to visit so I'm going to ask you the same thing, where would you like to visit someday?"

"Well, I would like to go to Sweden one day, England, Spain, France Australia, Brazil, everywhere really."

"Haven't you ever been to any of those places before?" asked Bella.

"Sure but when I went with Alice we stuck to places that had lots of shopping," said Jasper shaking his head. "I would like to really explore and not just go to places that are near major shopping centers. There are a lot of out of the way places, just little towns and villages that don't get much in the way of tourism. There are a lot of natural wonders in the world that a lot of people just don't seem to care about. The world is big you know and there are more places to see then the big cities. Hell we could spend the next thousand years just really exploring this planet that we call earth and all the natural wonders that are out there for somebody to just find if they cared enough to look."

"I never knew you cared about all that," said Bella surprised.

"Sure, I remember even as a boy that I used to dream about really exploring places that most people had never heard of and back when I was growing up the world was a lot simpler place then it is today, not as much technology, no computers, phones, televisions, or even radios and no instant communications. Back when I was growing up you couldn't just pick up a phone and call someone in another city because phones hadn't been invented yet, you had to actually write them a letter and it took a lot longer to get where it was going, as it had to go by train or horse or both to get there. If you wanted to mail a letter overseas it would take weeks to get there and just as long to get a reply and that's only if the ship didn't sink for whatever reason. It wasn't easy to travel either, especially if you wanted to go somewhere over the sea, there were no planes back then so you would have to take a ship and it took weeks or months to get somewhere instead of a few hours or at most a few days. Of course traveling was also much slower and it took a lot longer to get anywhere but with technology today we could go anywhere we wanted."

"You had telegraphs back then right?" asked Bella.

"Sure it was invented by Samuel F. B Morse in 1837 about six years before I was born. Not many people used telegraphs back then unless the message was very important because it was very expensive to send one. The longer the message, the more expensive it was. Nowadays telegraph technology is still used but it has advanced and in fact your modern day fax machine is based off the original telegraph technology. It was also Morse and his partner Alfred Vail who invented morse code which is still used today and was named after the main inventor. The invention of telephones came soon after but at first could only be used within a five mile radius of wherever you were calling from. The invention was of course improved upon and by 1887 the Bell telephone company was created. By 1888 more then 150,000 people owned telephones all over the U.S."

"The history you must have seen," Bella said shaking her head in wonderment.

"Well in this case I read about it later after I got away from Maria as at that time in my life I was to busy trying to survive to be interested in much else. I won't deny that I'm a history buff and although most of my history books are about the Civil War I do have a spattering of other subjects in my collection."

"So how did you make all the money you have stored away?" asked Bella curiously although she really felt like she didn't have the right to ask even though Jasper had said she could ask him anything and he would do his best to answer it.

"Well Maria may have been a cutthroat bitch but she did share the wealth from her conquests with her favorite officers me just being one of them. Thanks to her sick generosity and Peter's hunches I was already a multimillionaire many times over before I left. Maria seemed to think that money would buy our loyalty which wasn't the case of course. I was perfectly happy to take what I was given and I invested it as soon as I could so that Maria couldn't get it back. She was known for that, you know, she would give money to someone and then demand it back sometimes months later. She knew better though to ask for what she had given to me or Peter back as we both invested as soon as it was in our hands. Once I met up with Alice she helped me increase what I already had until I was a billionaire many times over. Actually I invested in the invention of the later version of the telegraph and then the telephone as I had a feeling they would be big and I was proven right. This was before Peter was even born so he wasn't around to tell me if I was making a bad investment."

"Those can't be your only investments," said Bella.

"No I also own about 15 percent stock in Apple Macintosh computers and have since the very beginning and I also invested in Verizon back when they first started and also I was one of the first investors in airplanes. Many people thought that airplanes would never catch on and they they were just a passing fantasy but I could see the potential in them so I invested. I also own stock in Ducati motorcycles which is why we got such a good deal."

"You have good instincts for business. You seem to know instinctually what is going to be big and be around a long, long time."

"Well, that's mostly true but I have made a few bad investments over the years, although not many and only before Peter was around to warn me off. A lot of it is just instincts that comes from being around for so long. When you've been around as long as I have you have a good idea what will be a good investment and what won't."

"You can't own all those under your own name or you would have attention from the government that you do not want not to mention every Tom, Dick and Harry knocking at your door wanting you to invest in whatever it is they are selling and of course the government giving you attention you don't need."

"Well technically, whatever I own stock in is not under my own name, but under half a dozen pseudonyms and every fifteen to thirty years or so I pass the stock I own down to myself under another name so that I can keep getting the dividends from it. The money that comes from that goes directly into one of my accounts either in Switzerland or the Cayman Islands."

"So as long as those companies are in business you'll keep getting money from them."

"Depending on what percentage of stock I own of course," Jasper added. "The more stock you own the more money you make from the dividends."

"No wonder you have so much money," said Bella shaking her head, "and it just keeps pouring in."

"Well you really need money, especially in this day and age unless you want to live like a nomad and steal whatever you need. I tried being a nomad right after I escaped from Maria. Even though I had money I still traveled from place to place staying only a few days in any one spot always looking over my shoulder for an attack as I'm afraid leaving Maria made me rather paranoid and I soon found that that was no kind of life for me."

"Which is understandable," said Bella giving his hand a loving squeeze. "I'd be paranoid to if I had just escaped from such a sadistic bitch and that's only if I was still remotely sane."

"Yes, well I'm not sure I was quite what you call sane, for awhile," said Jasper dryly. "Even Peter couldn't make me laugh or at least not the kind of laugh that you would consider pleasant. Feeding off innocent people didn't help and I'm actually surprised I didn't decimate whole towns with the shape I was in. That's mostly thanks to Peter and Char who stayed with me and wherever I went they followed. They kept me from doing anything stupid until I regained enough of my sanity and decided to travel alone. It wasn't more then a few years later that I met Alice."  
"Who introduced you to a different way of life then the one you had been living," said Bella.

"Yes and I will always be grateful to her, because we might not have met otherwise and I might not have been consciously aware of it back then but I know now that I wanted what Peter and Car had. Even when they were traveling with me the love they shared was so obvious even though they tried not to do anything blatant in front of me not wanting me to feel worse but you can't hide feelings, especially ones that strong from an empath. Even if I wasn't paying attention half the time the love they felt for each other was so all-encompassing that I couldn't help but notice it, even in the shape I was in."

They were both silent for awhile and Jasper wondered if this was the right time for him to propose.

"So any other investments I should know about?" asked Bella.

"Or I probably have a hundred investments under various aliases all over the world," said Jasper. "It would take me hours to name them all although if you really want to know I can list them for you. The ones I named were just most of my major investments that make the most money but everything I am invested in brings in money some more than others of course."

"I'm surprised you don't own stock in BMW's or Mercedes or some other company that produces sports cars, considering how fast you vampires like to drive," said Bella dryly.

"I did at one point," Jasper admitted, "but then the company went out of business and I just never got around to investing in another. Most car companies don't need or are even open to investors as they are already well established and have been around a long time."

They fell silent for awhile each lost in their own thoughts and after awhile Jasper knew that this was the time he had been waiting for, for what seemed like forever even though he knew it had only been a little over a year since they had started dating and with Bella adjusting to being a vampire he hadn't wanted to add anymore pressure but now that her newborn year was almost at an end it was a good time.

"Bella I've been wanting to ask you something," Jasper began nervously running a hand through his hair.

"What?" asked Bella looking up into his red eyes which were nervous but also full of his deep unending love. He's going to propose, Bella realized excitedly. Why is he so nervous? Is he actually afraid I'm going to say no? Probably since he knows my views of getting married but doesn't he realize that was before I met him and before I realized what a bitch my mother was?

"Isabella, I know we are mates meant to be together for eternity but the only thing I have left of my human life is my last name and I would be incredibly happy and delighted if you would agree to become my wife," Jasper said taking the ring box out of his pocket and opening the lid.

Bella kissed him passionately and when they finally pulled apart Bella said, "I'd be ecstatic to become Mrs. Whitlock, so in case you were having any doubts my answer is yes, a million times yes." Bella kissed him again and when they had broken apart Jasper slipped the ring on his mate's finger feeling so happy that he was radiating it unable to control his empathic ability. "I love you were you actually afraid I'd say no?"

"Well after what you told me your view on marriage was I wasn't sure."

"That was before I realized what a bitch my mother was. After we tortured her to death I decided I wasn't going to let my mother's hangups affect me anymore. It was mostly my mother's view of marriage that made me not want to to get married, well not until I'd had I chance to really live my life anyway. With you though it's different. Ever since I met you, even before we realized we were mates I've felt this incredible connection to you. Remember when you told me in Phoenix that I was worth it?"

"Yes," said Jasper wondering where this was going.

"Well ever since then the feelings I already had for you deepened. I didn't know how or why but from that moment on I was determined to get to know you. Unfortunately I never got the chance until the birthday party because Edward did his damn best to keep me away from you giving me all these lame excuses about how you were new to the family and had a hard time with the diet. Since he was always around I never got an opportunity to really know you back then."

"Maybe he sensed you were pulling away from him," Jasper suggested delighted at the fact that Bella had wanted to get to know him even back while she had been dating Edward but thanks to fuckwad never got the chance.

"That's a possibility," said Bella gazing at her ring which was beautiful.

"So do you like the ring?"

"Like it no," Bella teased him as she continued to admire it, "love it yes," she added.

"I found it in a custom jewelery shop in Florence when I went shopping with Peter. I've been holding onto it for a while as I wanted us to finish dealing with Edward before I proposed."

"You could have proposed before then and then we could have waved it in fuckwad's face that I was getting married to another man and not to him," Bella said.

"I didn't think of that," said Jasper with a truly regretful sigh. "It's to late now as he is nothing but ashes. All I was thinking at the time was I didn't want to put you under anymore pressure."

"Jasper I don't consider your proposal pressure, in fact I consider it one of the best things to ever happen to me. I may be only nineteen but I know what I have with you is real and I'm absolutely ecstatic about the fact that I am going to marry you and become Mrs. Whitlock."

Jasper hugged her to him and gave her what would have been a heart stopping kiss if it had still been beating. "So what kind of wedding do you want?" asked Jasper when he finally let her go. "When I married Alice she had to have a big todo."

"You know me, I like simple," said Bella. "The less complicated the better. Besides not that many people even know I'm still alive, just you, Emmett, Rose, Peter, Char, Jane, Heidi and Demetri. Oh and I suppose everybody at Volterra."

"That's true enough," Jasper agreed.

"Can't Char or someone marry us, instead of trying to find a priest who isn't going to instinctively be afraid of us?" asked Bella after a moment of thought.

"You don't want a church wedding?" asked Jasper with a raised eyebrow.

"No, that's not my style," said Bella running a hand up and down the inside of Jasper's right arm lightly in an intimate, almost unconscious gesture. "I figured if I ever did marry I would just convince the groom to have it done at city hall and be done with it. If you do it that way all you really need is a couple of witnesses."

"I'm sure Char will be happy to perform the ceremony as soon as you ask her," said Jasper.

"I figured I could get Uncle Peter to walk me down the aisle as he is my only living family."

"Well we aren't precisely living," said Jasper jokingly.

"You know what I mean," said Bella swatting him on the arm playfully. "The only guests will be Jane, Heidi, Demetri, Rose and Emmett."

"We'd better be getting back," said Jasper with a regretful sigh as he looked at his watch. "It's getting late."

"Do we have to?" Bella whined plaintively.

"We do as much as I would like to stay out here all night we wouldn't want anyone to worry about us. Besides we need to tell them we got engaged. Oh and before I forget do you want to get married before we leave Italy or wait until we get settled in Switzerland?"

"We might as well have here, since everyone we want to invite is right here in the city."

"Where do you want to take a honeymoon?"

"How about Greece? You know I've been wanting to go there, but after we get settled in Switzerland."

"Greece it is," Jasper agreed. "How long do you think it will take you and Rose to make the arrangements necessary to have the wedding before we leave Italy?"

"Not long," said Bella. "All we need is dresses for us girls and maybe a few flowers. We don't need to worry about food since none of us eat. Oh and you, Peter and Demetri will need to shop for suits, but other then that there isn't much to do."

"No reception?" asked Jasper.

"What's the point of having a reception when none of us eat and there's only a few people attending?"

"You have a point," Jasper conceded.

"Who's going to be your best man?" asked Bella.

"I thought I'd ask Emmett since you're going to ask Peter to walk you down the aisle," said Jasper.

"And Rose can be my bridesmaid," said Bella. "And that only leaves Jane, Demetri and Heidi as guests."

"Sounds fine," said Jasper.

"Are you sure you don't mind such a small ceremony?" asked Bella.

"No, I really don't mind, to tell the truth I prefer it. I always thought Alice went overboard at our wedding."

"When were you and Alice married?"

"In 1955," said Jasper. "We were living in Wyoming, near Yellow Stone National Park at the time. Our wedding was a grand affair and Alice not only invited the whole school out but half the town as well."

"Sounds just like Alice," said Bella shaking her head.

"It was," Jasper agreed. "But I think at least part of the reason she just loved to arrange affairs like that is because she couldn't remember her human life at all and so couldn't remember if she had ever been to anything like it before."

"Even if she had remembered I'm sure she would have been the same way," said Bella. "She just loved to be the center of attention while I don't."

"We'll never know," said Jasper.

They were silent for the rest of the ride and it wasn't long before they were pulling up at the villa they had rented and called home for the last few months.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

When Peter, Char, Rose and Emmett were told about the engagement they were ecstatic and even happier that the wedding was going to be next week before they left Italy.

"You don't want something a little bigger?" asked Rose in disbelief.

"Rose, you know me, I like small and simple. Besides how many people know I'm still alive?"

"You do have a point," Rose conceded. "Well we had better start shopping for dresses and thanks for asking me to be bridesmaid."

"You're welcome," said Bella.

"Congratulations, Bella," said Peter enfolding her in a hug. "I'm very happy for you and Jasper."

"Thanks, Uncle Peter," said Bella returning the hug. "You'll walk me down the aisle, right?"

"Of course, I'd be honored to," said Peter looking like he'd be in tears if he was capable.

"Who's going to perform the ceremony?" asked Char curiously.

"I was hoping you would," said Bella simply.

Char looked choked up and nodded, "I'd be happy to."

"Good, that just leaves flowers, dresses for the girls and suits for the guys," said Bella after giving Char a hug. "At least we don't have to worry about food since we don't need to eat."

And so the discussion went for the next couple of hours as everyone hashed out all the wedding details.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

The wedding of Bella and Jasper didn't take long to arrange at all since it was going to be so small and it was only a week later that Jane played the wedding march on her violin, Rose walked down the aisle carrying roses and freesias with babies breath bouquet and right after that Peter walked his niece down the aisle giving her a kiss on the cheek before he went over to stand with Demetri and Heidi.

"We are gathered here on this day to join two people deeply in love for the rest of their existence..." Charlotte began as soon as Bella had taken Jasper's hand in her hers. "Both Jasper and Bella have endured so much in order to be together and yet they have persevered through it all to stand and be married on this day.

"Do you Jasper Whitlock, take this woman, Isabella Marie Swan to by your wife for the rest of your eternity? Do you swear to love her no matter how long you are in this existence? To be committed to only her? To cherish her? To always be there for her through whatever troubles come into your lives? To take her opinion into account and to never make decisions for her, without consulting her?"

"I do," Jasper swore solemnly looking very handsome in a pair of black dress slacks with a blue dress shirt but no bowtie or sports coat as there was no reason to be to dressed up since it was a very small and informal ceremony. Really all they were doing was making the commitment to each other before God for having already claimed each other was much like being married.

"And do you Isabella Marie Swan take this man, Jasper Whitlock to by your husband for the rest of your eternity? Do you swear to love him no matter how long you are in this existence? To be committed to only him? To cherish him? To always be there for him through whatever troubles come into your lives? To take his opinion into account and to never make decisions for him, without consulting him?"

"I do," Bella promised joyfully the love she had for Jasper shining in her ruby red gaze and she was also sending him waves of her love which were so strong that Jasper knew he would have been crying if he could have. Bella was wearing a very nice dress that was a step down from being an actual wedding gown for she had seen no point in wearing a wedding dress, not to mention spending hundreds of dollars when the only people in attendance as guests were Demetri, Heidi and Jane and the other people were in the actual wedding party.

"The rings if you please," said Charlotte.

Emmett stepped forward solemnly and handed Jasper the wedding ring that he had bought and Jasper slipped it onto his mate's finger.

Emmett then handed the second wedding band over to Bella and she took it and slipped it onto Jasper's finger.

"With the giving and receiving of the rings and before God and your guests I am honored to pronounce you husband and wife. May you love, cherish, and comfort each other through the rest of your existences whether that be a hundred years or five thousand. Jasper you may kiss the bride," Char said with a smirk.

"Gladly," Jasper mumbled as he leaned forward and gave his wife a kiss that he put his whole dead heart into.

When they broke apart Jane, Demetri and Heidi all came over to congratulate them. "That was a lovely ceremony, thank you for inviting us," said Heidi.

"You're welcome and it's not like either of us know many people that we want to invite. Everybody who even knows I'm still alive was here," said Bella. "That I'm close to anyway."

"Technically we aren't alive," Emmett joked coming over.

Bella rolled her eyes at her brother and swatted his arm. "Is your enforced good behavior wearing off already?" Bella asked with a quirk of an eyebrow and a half smile.

"No, I just came to congratulate you and Jasper. I hope you are as happy as Rose and I are," said Emmett seriously. "I'm very happy for you both."

"Thank you, big brother," said Bella kissing his cheek. "That was very sweet of you."

"Thank you Emmett," Jasper added slapping his brother on the back.

"You're welcome," said Emmett kissing Bella on the cheek and shaking Jasper's hand before pulling him into a manly one armed hug.

"Here the kings wanted me to give you this as a wedding present," said Demetri producing what looked like a case of wine bottles from where he had put it.

"We can't drink," Jasper pointed out.

"It's a case of blood from the kings personal wine cellar," said Jane. "Sometimes the kings have certain humans kept in the dungeons so they can feed from them again and again. They never drain their favorites completely and the humans are kept down there until they die of old age or complications like draining them to much. They are fed so that their blood replenishes itself and then they are tapped, drained just enough to fill up a wine bottle or two and then left alone, fed for a few weeks and then the process is repeated. By the time most of the humans die they have provided hundreds of bottles of blood. The kings have quite an extensive wine cellar with thousands of bottles each labeled."

"I didn't know such a thing was possible," said Jasper. "I mean whenever I feed on someone I really like I can't stop myself from draining them completely. When I'm changing someone into a vampire I believe that the only reason I don't drain them is because I am focused on changing them instead of draining them."

"The kings are much older then you and apparently the older you get the more you able to control yourself when you feed," said Demetri.

"How do you keep the blood fresh?" asked Bella curiously.

"The cellar is climate controlled and is like a humongous refrigerator," said Heidi.

"But even then the blood won't be fresh forever," said Bella.

"Well Aro has been doing experiments on how to keep blood fresh for a long time. He eventually came up with a process about thirty years ago that will keep the blood from thickening for at least twenty years, after that though although it can still be drunk it doesn't taste fresh."

"Thank the kings for us will you?" said Bella, sincerely. "This was really nice of them."

"We will," Demetri promised.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"So what kind of motorcycle do you want?" asked Rose as she and Jasper walked into the car place that was also an authorized Ducati dealer. It was over a week later and things had calmed down considerably after the wedding. Every once in awhile Jasper or someone else in the family would catch Bella staring at her wedding ring and her expression was always one of wonder as if she couldn't quite believe she was married and to a man she loved so much. Jasper had never said anything to her and warned everybody else to do the same because he could understand it and he knew that soon Bella would realize that she really was married to him and then things could get back to normal.

"Something fast," said Bella immediately her eyes shining excitedly behind her sunglasses.

Even though it was a somewhat cloudy day it was bright enough for humans to see the color of their eyes but not bright enough to make them sparkle in the sun so all three of them wore very stylish and expensive sunglasses.

"I never appreciated or understood the Cullens need for speed until after I was changed. Now I can see the point of owning a high performance vehicle. Now that I'm like you going the the speed limit seems to take forever."

Both Rose and Jasper snickered appreciatively.

"What colors do you want?" asked Jasper.

"Navy blue with silver trim," Bella answered.

"Whatever we buy will have to be custom painted," Rose mused as a salesman approached them. "It will take longer, cost more, not to mention you'll have to have it delivered which will put the cost up."

"It's not like I don't have the money now," Bella told Rose just a little sarcastically as having so much in the bank that she hadn't earned was still a bit of a sore spot for her.

Rose winced and Bella immediately apologized. "I'm sorry Rose, that was uncalled for. I know it's no excuse but I've always had to work for everything I had so I guess that's the reason I don't like having so much money I didn't earn."

"Although I came from a very well off family I can understand the attitude even if it's still hard for me to comprehend," said Rose, waving off Bella's apology.

The salesmen reached then and they fell silent as he went through the usual sale's spiral.

As the salesmen was talking he looked at his three customers and thought that the two woman were the most beautiful ladies he had ever seen and that the man was beyond handsome and looked like a movie star.

Just five minutes later they were looking at Ducati bikes and Bella quickly chose the superbike 1199 Panigale Tricolore.

"Can I have that custom painted?" asked Bella.

"Change the colors?" the salesman protested looking insulted. "What is wrong with red, white and green? It is the the colors on the Italian flag."

"Nothing's wrong with he colors," Bella assured the man who was wringing his hands as he argued with them. "But this bike will be shipped to Switzerland."

"Why does that matter?" asked the salesman still wringing his hands looking upset.

"It matters because my favorite colors are navy blue and silver and that's what colors I want the bike."

"Surely asking for a different paint job isn't that big of a deal," said Jasper speaking for the first time sending compliance, gratitude for the sale and finally acceptance of his mate's request.

"No, I guess it isn't that unusual a request," the salesman acknowledged.

"So why argue about it then if you do it all the time?" asked Rose with a raised eyebrow.

"Because I can never understand why people want to change the beautiful colors. The bikes were painted with the colors of the Italian flag for a reason, you know. It lets people know that we are proud of our heritage and of our flag."

"But we aren't Italian," Jasper pointed out gently rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses clad eyes. "We are American."

"Even some of the people born in this country want to change the colors. It's like no one is proud of their heritage anymore."

"It's just individual tastes is all," said Rose. "Not everybody likes red, white and green. Me I prefer gold and French blue."

"And I like mahogany, black and a darker red then what the bikes are painted with."

The salesman quit arguing after Jasper told him he also wanted a bike of the same model, except he wanted his painted black with dark red trim.

After that the salesman left mostly happy because he had sold two instead of one, even if they didn't want to keep the original colors.

"Jasper, I was going to pay with my money," Bella protested after Jasper had handed the man his credit card.

"Sorry, it was just easier this way," said Jasper innocently as he had been intending to pay for Bella's bike all along although he hadn't told her that as she would have gotten very upset with him and she still might as she looked quite put out with him and her emotions were ones of annoyance, aggravation and a little anger. Underneath those negative emotions though was love, affection, and adoration. Although she might be a little upset with him at the moment but Jasper knew she still loved him as if he had ever doubted it. Even if he hadn't been an empath he would have known it as she showed him each and every day how she felt about him. Their relationship wasn't just about making love constantly but about the small things, like sitting outside watching the sunrise or sunset just holding each other. Sitting on the bed in their room and reading together with his mate's head on his chest. Spending time with Rosalie, Emmett, Peter and Char, just talking and laughing with Bella sitting on his lap her head on his shoulder. Even hunting together, looking at each other and holding hands as they fed from whoever they were draining was part of the little ordinary moments that they both cherished.

Jasper came back to himself as Bella punched him in the arm, hard and glared at him not fooled for a minute. She let it drop for the moment as the salesman came back with the paperwork for the two bikes.

"What was that for?" Jasper protested pretending that his pride was wounded.

"You know perfectly well what it was for," Bella told him giving him a pointed glare. "We'll be discussing this later, I guarantee it," she warned him in a voice low enough that the salesman wouldn't be able to hear them.

"Consider it a gift," said Jasper while taking her hand in his and after squeezing it started rubbing his thumb across the back soothingly.

Bella rolled her eyes and didn't respond although the glare she gave him told him that the conversation was far from over.

"It will take a couple of weeks to paint them so will you be picking them up or do you want them delivered?" asked the salesman as he reached them.

"Delivered," answered Bella and Jasper at the same time and Bella was quick to reel off the address of where they were staying and her cell phone number.

"Very well then, thank you for your purchases and I hope to see you again."

Jasper signed the paperwork at human speed because the salesman was there watching him and so he couldn't do it as fast as he would have liked. Finally he was done and he handed the forms back to the salesman.

"Let's go, we have a long drive ahead of us," said Jasper as he walked towards the exit of the car lot, the others following.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Two weeks later their Ducati motorcycles arrived by deliveryman at the gates of their villa and Jasper and Bella took great pleasure in taking a ride through the the streets of Volterra side by side. When they got out of the city and into the countryside they picked up speed and drive them as fast as they would go which didn't seem nearly fast enough to either of them as they enjoyed racing each other.

"That was great," said Bella as they came back through the villa's gate.

"Yes it was but I think next time we should try riding together," said Jasper smiling at Bella's enthusiasm.

"That's a great idea as I love snuggling up to you, but we should take turns. You know one time we'll ride mine and another yours. We can switch positions to."

"Sounds great," said Jasper as they parked the bikes in front of the villa.

"It's to bad this is the only time we'll get to ride them at least until we get them in Switzerland," said Bella with a sigh patting the handle bar. "Just one ride and I'm already addicted. You know the wind in your hair, the thrill of speed..." she trailed off. "None of which I would have even thought about doing if I was still human."

"I know exactly what you mean," said Jasper coming over and giving Bella a hug and kissing her chilled cheek. "I had almost forgotten what fun it can be to go so fast and to feel the wind. I haven't enjoyed myself so much in a long time. Of course the reason for that probably is that it is much more fun to ride with someone rather then alone."

"Enjoy your ride?" asked Peter as he came out the front door.

"Oh yes, very much so Uncle Peter," said Bella enthusiastically walking over and giving Peter a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll miss you and Charlotte, so much." Bella had called Charlotte aunt only once and in revenge Char had found a way sneak up on her and pour a bucket of mud over her head and ever since then Bella had not called her aunt as one of her favorite outfits had been ruined not to mention she looked like the monster from the lagoon instead of herself. It had taken her hours to wash the mud out of her hair if only because Jasper had not helped the situation by trying not to laugh, along with everyone else of course, and saying she looked incredibly sexy all covered in mud. He had proved it to, and they had made love so many times that Bella had lost count. By the time both of them had been more then satisfied hours later it was the middle of the night and not only were they both sparkling clean they had been in the whirlpool tub for over twelve hours.

"We'll see each other again, I guarantee it," said Peter returning the hug. "Once you get settled and have a chance to get used to being newlyweds we'll come for a visit. I've really enjoyed the last couple of months getting to know the niece I never knew I had."

"I've enjoyed them to," Bella assured him. Bella and Peter had spent a lot of time together in the last few weeks each sitting either under Bella's favorite tree or in the living room telling stories about their lives sometimes with the others present sometimes just by themselves. "It's always nice to find family that you didn't realize you had."

"Who both got turned into vampires, the odds of which must be astronomical," Peter joked.

Bella laughed and Peter gave her another hug. Peter was a jokester just like Emmett but it was also obvious that he loved Char, Jasper and now her. To him Jasper was his brother even though they weren't related by blood for it was Jasper venom that had changed him into who and what he was today. As for Char she was his mate and meant as much to him as Bella did to Jasper which was saying a great deal as when you were two halves of a whole it was hard to be very far apart even if you had been claimed. A couple of hundred miles was about the limit on distance for to get any further apart then that was just asking for pain so intense that you would wish you were dead.

"Besides," Peter said seriously which was an unusual occurrence for him, "both you and Jasper need some time alone and you haven't had that with everything that has been going on. I do after all know what's it like to be mated and as much as Charlotte and I have enjoyed spending time with you, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett you need your privacy as it is important for a mated couple to have some time alone especially for the first few years."

"And with the whole Edward situation, plus Bella going through her newborn year we haven't had much time with just the two of us," said Jasper finally coming over.

"You got it," said Peter slapping Jasper on the back.

"It was great spending time with you and Char these last few months," said Jasper. "I don't think I've enjoyed myself so much in years and what made it even more enjoyable was having my mate by my side. I finally understand what I've been missing for so long," he added giving Bella a hug and a kiss on the top of her head that was filled with wonder and reverence that she was really his for all time.

"You take care of my great-niece, you hear," Peter half threatened. "If you don't you will regret it."

"I can take care of myself, Uncle Peter," said Bella stepping between her mate and her uncle. "Besides Jasper would never hurt me and you know that. Even the part that is The Major accepts me as his mate and you know how violent The Major can be when someone he loves is threatened. You should have seen what he did to Edward when he lunged at me just as we were going to start tearing him apart and throw his pieces into the fire."

Flashback

Jasper had reacted so fast when Edward had lunged at her that she hadn't even seen him move and before she, Rosalie or Emmett had known it fuckwad was torn apart in milliseconds. Jasper had been in a rage and had been ready to not only tear his limbs off but every single one of his fingers and toes plus his eyes, ears, nose and his all important manhood. Bella had managed to calm him down as she could immediately tell that he was in major mode. All she had had to do was send him her never-ending, all-consuming love and approach him with her head held high looking directly into his eyes.

"I'm fine, major, just fine," she had soothed. "He never touched or even got close to me because of you. He will never be able to touch or hurt me again. Let's finish this and burn him to cinders so we can put the past behind us."

Jasper had calmed down, The Major almost immediately leaving his eyes at his mate's reassuring words and as soon as he had checked her over for injuries. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you Bella," said Jasper pulling her into his arms and holding her close.

"You didn't and I'm fine, besides I can defend myself you know," she said with a smirk. "Overprotective much?" she added.

"It's The Major that is overprotective, not me," said Jasper.

"But The Major is part of you, so technically it is you who is overprotective," said Bella with a half smile, laughter in her eyes.

"So sue me," said Jasper kissing her forehead. "I've just found you and I don't want to lose you, ever, I would not survive if anything happened to you."

"You won't, lose me," Bella promised him kissing his nose. As soon as they were done comforting each other they had called Rosalie and Emmett back inside as they had left to give them privacy, or as private as you could be when you had super sensitive hearing.

"You made a big mistake trying to attack me," Bella told the limbless Edward. "We had decided to make your death relatively quick but now you've made your own bed and your death will be as painful as we can possibly make it. If Jasper hadn't stepped in I would have taken you apart myself, although probably not as fast as he did it," she added thoughtfully.

"Bella don't do this," Edward pleaded. "We can still be together."

"Are you delusional and insane?" Bella demanded incredulously rolling her eyes. "Why would I want you when I have Jasper and after all you've done to me? Who was it that hit me just because I ordered him out of my house and when he wouldn't leave I cussed at him? Who was it that burned down the Cullen house and killed his father, mother and sister just because his pride had been hurt when he didn't get his way? And who was it that snuck into where I was staying expecting me to act like some kind of puppy and obediently leave with him? Oh let me think," she added pretending to think about it for a few seconds tapping a finger against her cheek seeming deep in thought. "Why it was you." She pretended to be shocked and amazed and the other three people in the room chuckled appreciatively at the way she put her hand up to her mouth and widened her eyes pretending to be shocked. "You have made your bed and now you must accept the consequences your actions have brought. You have done nothing except bring pain and heartache to people who used to call you son or brother."

Bella fell silent and calmly turned her back making sure her her shield was up although what Edward could do without his limbs was the 10,000 dollar question.

"Well shall we get started?" asked Rosalie with a wicked little smirk on her perfect lips.

"We shall," the others agreed and each of them went to collect one of Edward's limbs and made sure he could see as they tore off his fingers and toes one by one and threw them into the already roaring fire although in Emmett's case it was just his wrist as that hand was missing. Edward's head watched from where his chest was leaning up against the wall closest to the fire. "No, No," Edward kept crying as each limb burned until only ashes remained. Finally all the limbs were gone and Emmett went and picked up his limbless body. "Don't do this Emmett," Edward pleaded.

Emmett didn't respond and looking determined although a little sad brought the body over to the others. One by one they each tore off a bit of what remained of Edward's body and soon, his ears and nose were gone.

"Well do you want the honor of burning off fuckwad's all important manhood?" Jasper asked his mate with a smirk. "He's hurt you the most after all."

"Sure, thanks," said Bella taking Edward's penis into her hand and with a metallic ripping sound tore it into little pieces right in front of Edward's eyes and nonchalantly threw it into the fire smirking in satisfaction. "Well Edward, how does it feel to die still a virgin?"

The other three laughed at Bella's comment for they knew it to be true Edward had never had sex, not once in a hundred and seven years. Who was still a virgin at seventeen much less a hundred and seven?

"You will die never knowing the pleasures of the female body and even though I begged you at the time to make love to me I am glad I did not lose my virginity to you as that would have been a tragedy in the making."

Bella fell silent and tore out one of his eyes as the other three started tearing off his waist and then breaking in half throwing both pieces on the fire one after the other.

Finally all four of them tore off the head and threw Edward's chest on the fire and the head was forced to watch with just one eyes as his chest burned having finally fallen silent as he knew that pleading would do no good. After the rest of his body was nothing but ash Jasper who was holding the head tossed it into the fire like it was some kind of basketball and the fire was a basketball hoop.

We hope you burn in hell for all eternity, Jasper told Edward in his head as he no longer had any ears in which to hear the words if they had been spoken out loud. None of us will miss you as you were always a nosy, inflexible, opinionated, judgmental child who if he had lived and remained human probably would have grown into the same kind of man. The world is not black and white as you always seemed to believe, but has shades of gray.

It was only a few minutes later that the head of Edward Anthony Masen Cullen was nothing but ash and all four watched solemnly until it was done.

End Flashback

"That's true enough but it's still my right as your only living relative to make sure he takes care of you," said Peter with a wink pulling Bella out of her memories.

Bella rolled her eyes at both of them letting them know what she thought of their posturing.

"You know I will," Jasper told Peter solemnly. "I've been waiting for over a century and a half to find my other half and there is no way I'm going to risk losing her. She is the most precious thing in my life and even The Major listens and is protective of her which is saying a lot as he's never listened or been protective of anyone else. I will treat her with all the love, respect, adoration and reverence she deserves."

"That is all I ask, brother," said Peter punching him in the arm.

"Are you two done now?" asked Bella as she looked at them with her arms crossed, tapping her foot on the ground, trying to appear annoyed but Jasper could tell that she was in awe of his words and was trying not to show it. He knew if she could have wept she would have for she had finally realized in her heart what she meant to him and not just in her head. Sometimes it took the heart a little while to catch up with what the head knew and it had taken her awhile to come to the realization that he loved her so much that he would do anything for her. He also knew that it had probably taken her heart a little longer to accept the fact that she was his very air just like he was for hers because fuckwad had hurt her with his actions, more than she had probably even realized or maybe admitted to herself.

"We're done," said Peter and Jasper at the same time both with smirks on their faces.

Bella rolled her eyes and huffed before going into the house before she did something she'd regret like breaking down and dry sobbing because Jasper's words had meant more to her then he'd probably realized. On second thought he probably did realize with the way he could read her emotions and he was so in tune with hers that he had more than likely caught what she had been feeling even if she had been trying to hide it behind annoyance and anger.

End Flashback

Five years later

The four Whitlocks stepped off the newest shuttlecraft that Jasper had purchased just a month ago and into the Paris-Charles de Gaulle shuttleport. Shuttleport Paris-Charles de Gaulle aka the Roissy was the only international shuttleport in the country. Oh sure there were plenty of shuttleports in France, ones used by the military or the government, ones that were for the public and ones that were restricted but the Paris-Charles de Gaulle shuttleport was the only one that brought in visitors from all over the world. It was just over six years since Bella and Jasper had met the twins and become so close to them and just under five since Chris and Sofia had become vampires. In those five years the twins had been learning to control themselves around humans and not just for a few hours but for days at a time. That part of their training as vampires had only taken place in the last year once Jasper had been sure that they could handle being around humans for at least twenty-four hours with no breaks in between. It wasn't the usual thing to be trained to be around humans for so long the twins had been told but on the other hand most vampires were nomads or part of a coven that didn't have much to do with human society at all while the Whitlocks were a little different. Perhaps it was the fact that he had lived with the Cullens for so long and gotten used to being around humans, Jasper had suggested when the twins had asked about that part of their training. "This way you will be able to blend into human society a little easier. If you ever got stuck somewhere for whatever reason for a few days with a lot of humans around you won't have as much trouble controlling your instincts. I admit that type of situation doesn't come up to often but you never know as our kind live forever. I thought it was better to have the training in case you ever find yourself in such a situation that you can't get out of it for a while then not to have the training at all."

"So why wait so long to train us for this?" Sofia had asked at the time.

"Because I wanted you to have at least a few years as a vampire before you tried it," Jasper had explained. "Even after your newborn stage was officially over you were still getting used to vampire life and I wanted to make sure you had adjusted completely before doing this particular exercise. In a way it's kind of like the endurance training you have to go through in the military except instead of putting you through your paces with a fifteen or twenty pound pack on your back while you walk for miles you are just training to have more endurance around humans no matter the situation."

Both twins had nodded seeming to understand Jasper's line of reasoning after he had explained it.

So here all four Whitlock's were in Paris which was even in the 22nd century still one of the most romantic cities in the world even today. Both Chris and Sofia were very excited about being here as neither had ever been overseas before or if they had they couldn't remember it. For the last five years they had been living in the house in Philadelphia and although all four of them had gone into town regularly either together or separately to mingle with humans, go to the movies or do other things this was the twins first trip as vampires to another city, well besides when they had left where they had been living before right after they were changed.

Once they disembarked the shuttle and got through customs Jasper had a car waiting in reserve and they had no trouble getting it from the car agency.

"So what do you want to do first?" asked Jasper as he drove the car onto the streets of Paris. "We don't have to meet Emmett and Rosalie until later so we have a few hours to do some sightseeing.

"Well I've always wanted to go see the Louvre," said Sofia.

"Sofia," Chris groaned, "you and your fascination with museums. We're in Paris for god sakes and I'm sure there are plenty of things to do that are more fun then going to a museum."

"It isn't just a museum," Sofia protested. "It's one of the most famous museums in the world today."

"Children, children, let's not argue," said Bella turning in her seat to look at them sternly her mouth twitching a little. Both twins looked sheepish at Bella's words. "We are going to be here for at least the next several months and I am sure that you will have time to do everything you both want to do before we leave. Let's cooperate shall we?" Bella continued trying to keep her voice stern although it was difficult as she was having trouble not laughing. "Sofia I know you want to see the Louvre but why don't you save that for another day? You don't really have time to tour a museum today and in fact you could probably go back every day for a week and still not have a chance to see it all as it is supposed to house one of the largest art collections in the world and we only have a few hours until we meet Rose and Emmett."

Jasper laughed at his wife's little speech and Bella turned back to the front and glared at her husband. "And what do you find so amusing Mister?"

"Oh it's nothing really," said Jasper still chuckling.

"Well something I said must have been funny to you or you would not be laughing," said Bella using one finger to poke her husband in the side playfully just pretending to be annoyed at him.

"It's just right then you reminded me of Esme. I lost count of the number of times she had to get her children to stop arguing and cooperate with each other. She had this way about her when she was at the end of her patience at her 'children's' antics. I will admit that at least ninety percent of the time Esme got annoyed it was either Emmett's fault or mine as the two of us did tend to horse around a lot and usually in the house where the expensive furniture or other things got damaged or destroyed."

Bella laughed at that as she remembered some of those times and at Esme's yelling at Emmett and Jasper to quit play fighting. "You and Emmett still horse around, whenever you get together," Bella pointed out, "and you still break the furniture when you do."

"That's true enough, but you don't yell at us if we do like Esme used to."

Bella shrugged. "Well Esme was an architect and she had a lot of expensive and valuable antiques scattered around and I'm sure she didn't want things that were so valuable broken. Me on the other hand I don't buy antiques for as long as it is comfortable who cares if it is several hundred years old or not? Why spend all that money just for it to get destroyed when you Emmett or Uncle Peter roughhouse and horse around."

"That's true enough," Jasper admitted. "There's nothing wrong with nice things but why Esme kept buying expensive antiques that were just destroyed sooner or later, and it was usually sooner, I don't know."

"Esme was born in a different time and had a different upbringing then you or I did," Bella said. "She enjoyed architecture, buying houses to renovate and then sell which she was extraordinarily good at. Everybody has different interests and that was hers."

"You know in the five years we've known you I don't think you've mentioned any of the Cullens more then once or twice," said Sofia speaking for the first time in a while.

"Well talking about them is still extraordinarily painful," Jasper admitted looking sad and melancholy which was very unusual for him or at least after he had met Bella it was. "Unlike humans, vampire memories are perfect and never fade so even though it has been over a century since their deaths it is still very painful subject and always will be because the memories are still as fresh as if it happened yesterday. Since our memories never dull like they would for a human the grief is still fresh as well."

"Both of us will always miss all three of them, very much," said Bella. "Sure they had faults but then everybody does whether you are human or vampire. Out of all three of them though I think I miss Esme the most. I still remember how she embraced me, took care of me and loved me from the first moment we met and certainly more then my own mother ever did. I remember sitting in the kitchen at the Cullen house as she cooked food for me and talking to her as she did. Despite being a vampire she was a fantastic cook and I've never been sure if she learned how to cook after she met me or if she already knew how but just hadn't had the opportunity after she was turned. She always insisted on cooking me a meal whenever I was over at the house no matter how much I protested that she didn't need to as I would fix myself something after I got home."

"She already knew how to cook," said Jasper adding in his two cents worth, "but I believe she experimented some when you weren't there with new recipes and also to refresh her skills as she hadn't cooked in almost a hundred years at that point."

"Do you ever miss anybody else from when you were human?" asked Chris.

"Sure, quite a few people," said Bella. "My father, for one, Jake, Angela, Ben several others. Before you ask, Jake was my best friend from when I was little and he lived on the La Push reservation with his father Billy Black who was my dad's best friend. Jake was killed in that same shootout that my father, Angela and Ben were killed in even though he shouldn't have been at that graduation party in the first place since he was only sixteen and went to the La Push Reservation high school and not the high school in Forks. As for Angela and Ben they were probably my best human friends from Forks high school while Alice was my best vampire friend."

"Why weren't you at that graduation party since you graduated at the same time they did?" asked Sofia.

"Well the main reason is it too place on the La Push reservation on First Beach and no vampire was allowed to cross onto tribal land or they would have been killed by the Quileutes that could change into werewolves and since Jasper wasn't allowed on the La Push Reservation without breaking the treaty that was in place I didn't go because I didn't want to go alone and besides Jasper thought it might be dangerous and he wouldn't be there to protect me if it had been."

"Carlisle had a treaty with the Quileutes," Jasper explained. "The treaty stated that as long as the Cullens stuck to animal blood, didn't bite another human being and stayed off reservation land then they would be left alone. Besides I was supposed to be away at college and so I couldn't be seen in town."

"Are you telling me that some of the Quileutes could change into wolves?" asked Chris in astonishment but also sounding intrigued.

"Yes," said Jasper his lips twitching at the twins reaction. "Technically the Quileutes are shapeshifters and not werewolves as they don't need a full moon in order to transform. The gene runs strong in certain families but is recessive and only shows up if vampires appear on either on the reservation or in Forks which sometimes doesn't happen for generations."

"But how did the Quileutes get the ability to shapeshift?" asked Sofia still sounding amazed at the information she had been given in the last few minutes even though she really shouldn't have been since if vampires existed than it was more then possible that shapeshifter's did to.

"Well the legend goes," Jasper began and then preceded to tell the twins all about how the first werewolves had supposedly come into existence.

"So the Quileute shapeshifters were created specifically to kill our kind," said Chris.

"Exactly," said Jasper.

"And the shapeshifting gene runs strong in the Uley, Clearwater, Black, Ateara, Call, and several other families," added Sofia.  
"Why would it have been dangerous in La Push?" asked Chris confused referring to part of Bella's statement of a few minutes ago. He had been turning the statement over in his head trying to make sense of why it would have been dangerous for Bella to go to the reservation by herself for several minutes.

"Because werewolves have rather volatile tempers, especially young ones. If one of the wolves had gotten angry anywhere near Bella and transformed they could have caused her serious damage and unlike all other type of injuries the scars done by werewolf's claws would have been permanent even after her transformation into a vampire and that's only if they didn't kill her by accident," Jasper explained grimly. "I believe the reason that is so, is because the Quileute shapeshifters were created specifically to kill our kind and their teeth and claws are one of the few things that can actually cause any kind of damage to our diamond hard skin. Now just imagine that if they can actually leave wounds on a vampire what do you think it would do to a mere human with soft and easily damaged skin?"

Both twins visibly shuddered as they thought about Jasper's words for it was very easy to imagine the damage one of the Quileutes could do in wolf form to someone who was human.

"Yes, I see you understand," said Jasper having seen them shudder as they realized that if a werewolves teeth and claws could damage a vampire then they could certainly do even more damage to a human.

"If the treaty stated that none of the Cullens were allowed to bite another human being or it would cause a war how did you get away with biting her without the Quileutes finding out?" Sofia asked curiously.

"Well, if you want to get technical I never signed that treaty as Alice and I didn't join the Cullens for many years after the treaty had been signed but the main reason is that nobody knew Bella and I were even dating for at the time as we kept it quiet for that specific reason and because I was supposed to be away at college. I, of course, knew about the treaty and I knew that the Quileutes would more then likely try to interfere if they had discovered that Bella had broken up with Edward just to start dating me. It helped that Billy Black's son Jacob was killed at the party since Billy was not only best friends with Bella's father Charlie but also on the tribal council. Jacob's death distracted the Quileutes at a crucial time as they were to distracted to pay attention to who the chief of police's daughter was dating."

"I never told my father that I started dated Jasper and all he knew before he was shot and killed was that I had broken it off with Edward which made him very happy as he hated Edward. If I had told my father the news that I was dating another Cullen it would have eventually gotten back to the werewolf pack through Billy," Bella added.

"It's not that I couldn't have taken care of a pack of adolescent werewolves if I had had to you understand but this way we avoided a fight and having to kill them or at least seriously maim them."

"After Jacob was killed I didn't really have much contact with the Quileutes anyway and that helped. It's not that I don't still mourn the loss of my friend, because I do, but it did turn out to be a good thing for us. If Jacob had lived and I had told him that Jasper and I were mates he would have caused no end of problems because he thought he was in love with me. I'm not denying that he had a crush on me, but it wasn't anything more then that. Anyway I didn't think of him the same way as he thought of me as I had known him all my life and thought of him as a kid brother."

"If Jacob had lived he would have eventually gone through the transformation and turned into a werewolf himself and although it would have caused more trouble for us in the long run I almost wish he had already been a shapeshifter."

"Why?" asked Chris curiously.

"Because after they transform for the first time the wolves pick up the ability to heal extremely fast and it's possible that Jacob would have lived after he was shot if he had had that ability. I'm not saying he still wouldn't have died but he would have had a better chance of surviving if he had already gone through his first transformation."

Chris and Sofia absorbed that in silence and Jasper figured he and Bella had given the twins enough to think about for one day and changed the subject getting them to agree to things to do together as a family effectively distracting them.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Wow! This is some place you rented," Chris marveled as Jasper drove up to a nice house that he had rented outside the city. The house was only one storey but sprawled out in all directions and was way bigger then was needed for just the four of them.

"Why didn't we just stay in a hotel?" Sofia wondered.

"Because this way no one notices our coming and going at sometimes odd hours," Bella said with a wink. "Also there is less of a chance of anybody noticing anything unusual about us. Besides we like our privacy and we are planning on staying here for at least the next two or three months. If we were only going to stay for a week or two we more than likely would have rented a hotel suite."

"Why didn't we just stay with Emmett and Rose?" asked Chris curiously. "That would have been cheaper and I would think you would want to spend some time with them."

"In my book that is a last resort option," Bella told the twins while Jasper snorted trying not to laugh as he knew exactly what Bella meant but didn't say.

"Why?" asked Sofia.

"Because Rose and Emmett are about a thousand times worse then a couple of teenagers necking on the couch in the living room. What Bella was trying to be polite about and didn't say was that Rose and Emmett don't care who is scarred when they make out in semi public places. I try not to think about the number of times I've caught them half naked in the living room or the den back when I was still living with the Cullens.

"And I've caught them in compromising positions more than a few times myself so as much as I love my brother bear and Rose it is simply easier to have our own place since they are using the original place that was owned by the Cullens. Asking them to behave while they have guests not only wouldn't work Emmett would go out of his way to tease us about it for the next hundred years at least. You've met then on a couple of occasions so you know how they are. Emmett and Rose don't have a single ounce of modesty at all."

"The two or three times you met them they were also on their best behavior but now that you are used to them don't expect that to continue," Jasper added. "Trust us, it is just better if we rented our own place and it isn't as if we are strapped for money. What's the point of having money if you don't spend it occasionally?"

"True enough," Chris agreed helping to get the luggage out of the car so it could be carted into the house.

"Why don't you each choose a room to use?" said Bella. "We should all have just enough time to unpack before we have to meet Emmett and Rose at the nightclub."

"Okay," said Sofia sounding excited as she had never been to a nightclub before. She seemed to remember planning to go for her twenty-first birthday but had never had the chance thanks to that blasted mugger.

"It's to bad we won't actually be able to drink," Chris sighed sounding disappointed.

"They do have bottles of blood mixed with water," Bella reminded Chris before he disappeared into the house.

"That's true enough, but it isn't quite the same thing as actually drinking alcohol," said Chris. "I remember that Sofia and I were going to go to a club when we turned twenty-one when we were human and thanks to that blasted criminal we never had the chance. Sofia and I wanted to try alcohol at least once just to see what all the fuss was about and now we never will be able to."

"I never had an opportunity to try alcohol either, since I was changed at eighteen," said Bella sympathetically. "There are a lot of things I never got to try while I was human and while it is true I have tried a lot of them once I was turned it just isn't quite the same since vampire's are almost indestructible. There's no element of danger or risk for one of us that there would have been if we were human."

"Like what?" asked Chris wondering what Bella had wanted to try when she was human that had that element of risk.

"Well, riding a motorcycle for one which I never could have done while I was living with my father as he hated them and thought they were dangerous. Also white water rafting, cliff diving, surfing, sailing, body and snow boarding, skiing, skydiving, ice skating and several others. I never would have dared tried ice skating when I was human because of the fact that I as so clumsy and as for the other things I mentioned Charlie would have gone ballistic just like with the motorcycle if he had found out I was even contemplating trying them. I thought maybe once I was out on my own I could try a few of them but of course that was before I met the Cullens."

"I would love to try those," said Chris wistfully.

"Well you now have forever so I'm sure you'll get to try everything you want to over the next few centuries."

"But as you pointed out it won't be the same because there is no element of risk, like getting a broken bone."

"Getting broken bones isn't all it's cracked up to be," said Bella. "I should know as I had several when I was human."

"Perhaps not," Chris conceded.

"Now you had better go get unpacked and get a shower as we don't have much time until we meet Emmett and Rose at the club."

Chris nodded and headed off in the direction that Bella indicated the bedrooms were so he could do that.

Flashback

"So how do you like the jet?" asked Jasper with a smirk as they sat in the cockpit of a brand new state of the art Gulfstream G200 also known as an IAI Galaxy which was big enough to seat up to eight people executive style or eighteen if it was being used as a shuttle. When Bella had first entered the aircraft she had been stunned at the luxury for gone were the usual airplane seats and in their place were several comfortable couches and chairs. There was a gallery and bathroom of course neither of which would probably ever be used as humans would never fly with them.

Somehow Jasper had bought a jet without telling her in the few months they had been in Italy. "It's great," said Bella who had already flown with him once when they had rented a jet to bring them to Italy. "I never did ask before but when did you learn to fly?"  
"I took lessons once about twenty-five years ago and as a vampire I never forget so there are no need for inspections or reviews."

"How do you avoid those?" asked Bella curiously as she took one of the wine bottles of blood that had been a gift from three kings as a wedding present out of the duffle bag she'd carried with her into the cockpit so they could drink it on the flight. Unfortunately there were no glasses so they would just have to drink straight from the bottle.

"Forged papers that's how," said Jasper with a smirk as he watched his wife pop open the cork of bottle. This was only the second bottle of blood they'd shared as they were trying to make them last as long as possible having no idea if they would ever be able to get more. "I let Jenks do a lot of that but I also do a lot of it myself."

"You can do that kind of thing?" asked Bella in amazement and admiration after she had taken a drink of the bottle before handing it to Jasper who also took a sip.

"Oh yes and Rosalie is quite good at that kind of thing as well. At the time Carlisle thought it was better to have at least two people who knew how to forge documents just in case something happened to one of them even though he felt it was being dishonest."

"And of course there is Jenks," said Bella.

"Yes and Jenks is good for forging birth certificates, social security numbers, passports and anything else involving getting a new identity or anything really, as you should know as he is the one that did all your papers for your two new identities. You never know though if and when he will be arrested or just die from old age."

"But what if Jenks is arrested?" asked Bella a little worried.

"There's no need to be concerned Jenks knows better then to say anything about things involving me or anybody associated with me if he is arrested. He knows that if I do find out that he said anything I will have no trouble getting to him no matter where he is and making him regret he was ever conceived," said Jasper sounding absolutely calm but with an undercurrent of cockiness, confidence and smugness. Bella looked at her mate admiringly and knew that his cockiness, smugness and confidence were justified as he was a dangerous enemy to have as his scars proved.

"So let's continue your flying lessons shall we?" said Jasper.

"All right," Bella agreed feeling a little more confident now then the first time Jasper had given her a lesson. "Hey don't you need to be a certified flying instructor in order to give these kind of lessons?" asked Bella curiously.

"I am," said Jasper with a smirk. "Certified instructor Jasper Whitlock at your service."

Bella raised her eyebrow but didn't ask how he had become a supposedly certified instructor of learning flying although, she suspected that it involved hacking into the appropriate systems and doing whatever was necessary to make it at least look legal.

"All right," said Bella as Jasper continued to give her instructions once they were in the air and away from the air traffic control tower.

"So what kind of repairs does the home you bought in outside of Bern need?" asked Bella out of curiosity.

"Why would you think it would need repairs?" asked Jasper with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh I don't know," Bella began, "maybe because I've never lived in a place that didn't need some kind of repairs, whether it is just a dripping faucet or something more serious."

"The agent that I hired assured me that no repairs were needed and that it was in tiptop condition."

"You could have been lied to, you know," Bella pointed out.

"I suppose it is possible but unlikely as much as I paid her to make sure everything was in good shape. Melinda, the lady I hired knows that if I am not happy then she won't get the other half of her commission."

"Is this Melinda pretty?" asked Bella suddenly feeling a surge of irrational jealousy as Jasper had not so much as looked at another women the same way he looked at her but she couldn't help her feelings.

"I've never met her so I don't know if she is pretty or not but even if she has won a beauty pageant no one could compare to you," Jasper told his mate pulling her into his lap, caressing her hair and kissing her forehead, sending her his love and sincerity. "To me you are the most gorgeous woman in the whole world and I'll keep assuring you of that fact for as long as it takes for you to truly believe that I could never want anybody else when I have you. This jealousy you are feeling is not needed not that I don't appreciate it as I also get jealous of every handsome man that looks at you with lust and tries to get your attention."

Bella was moved by her mate's words and her jealousy evaporated as she realized that Jasper was never going to want anybody else.

"Yeah like men look at me like the way they look at Rosalie," Bella scoffed.

"They do, you just don't notice," Jasper assured her. "Remember that man at the club? The one that kept staring at you?"

"Yeah so?" asked Bella not quite understanding what Jasper's point was.

"Well every time we go somewhere men will look at you and the lust I feel coming off them is strong enough to knock someone out and that includes the married ones. As I've said before you just don't see yourself clearly, you never have and why else do you think Mike used to follow you around like a lost puppy dog or that Tyler used to lust after you? And that was before you were changed and you are even more beautiful now."

"Mike was just trying to make Jessica jealous and Tyler did not lust after me," said Bella not believing it for a second.

"Bella," Jasper chided, "I could feel their emotions remember? Trust me when I say that Mike liked you a lot more then he liked Jessica as his lust and adoration went through the roof every time he looked at you. I mean you must have turned down at least twenty times and yet he kept coming back for more always hoping that you would change your mind. As for Tyler I could feel that he loved you even though you hardly ever spoke to him."

Bella didn't respond but Jasper could tell she didn't really believe it. Damn that bitch! Jasper thought venomously. I wish she was still alive so I could torture her some more. It is thanks to her that my Bella doesn't believe in her own self-worth or see how beautiful she really was. I know Edward didn't help her self-esteem with the way he treated her but it is her mother who is largely responsible as this problem with her self-image goes all the way back to her childhood. I devotedly hope she and that asshole she married burn in hell for all eternity.

The Major growled in agreement and wanted to rip Bella's mother limb from limb for hurting the woman he loved but unfortunately it was not possible to bring somebody back from the dead.

"What's got you so upset?" asked Bella with a raised eyebrow and Jasper realized that a low growl had been rumbling in his chest not to mention he was projecting his anger even if he hadn't meant to.

"I was just wishing that I could bring your mother back to life so I could kill her again, even more slowly. I would torture her for weeks, or better yet months, bring her to the point of death, give her a chance to heal a little and then torture her again. I would make her wish for death and beg for mercy and would not grant either until I was damn good and ready," Jasper answered honestly but angrily. "It is because of her that you are not aware of your own self-worth and the reason your self-esteem is so low. I'm not saying that is the only reason but it is the main one because you had to raise yourself while she did whatever the hell she pleased instead of raising you to be a self-confident young woman who is aware of her own value."

Bella was quiet for a while absorbing her mate's words and intellectually she knew he was right, but even though she knew that she had a serious problem with her self-esteem in her head, her heart was having a harder time comprehending it.

"Thank you for wanting to do that for me," Bella finally said quietly but sincerely. "Unfortunately you can't raise the dead and even if my mother had been different and there for me there is no guarantee that I wouldn't still have problems with my self-esteem."

"But it wouldn't run as deep as it does now," said Jasper calming down a little, "and it would be easier to convince you of your own worth or to see how beautiful you really are. It's not that I mind helping you realize that you are a lovely young woman both inside and out and that I will love you for as long as we both exist but it just makes me boiling mad that we are discussing these things at all because your own mother wasn't there when you really needed her, to help you through the difficult teenage years. There are a lot of pressures involved with being a teenager, especially in this century and you had no one to get advice from or simply confide your problems to. Frankly I think it is a bloody miracle that you turned out so well and that you never let anybody force you into taking drugs, or got involved in a gang or one of the other dozen pressures that a teenager faces these days. There is a lot of peer pressure to conform and either take drugs, join a gang or simply be lazy and not care what kind of grades you get. That you didn't bow under the pressure says a lot about how strong mentally you really are."

Bella was glad she couldn't blush anymore as she was embarrassed by Jasper's compliment and although she tried to hide her emotions she was sure Jasper had caught how she was feeling.

"And just so you know I am going to keep complimenting you until you stop getting embarrassed. You deserve every compliment and more which is something else I blame your mother for. You should not get embarrassed when somebody gives you an honest and sincere compliment."

"Actually I believe that is just part of my normal personality as I think Charlie was the same way. If I remember correctly dad hated getting compliments and would get all embarrassed."

"But it also has to do with your self-esteem issues. Remember I can feel your emotions and I'm not saying that some of your dislike of compliments isn't part of your normal personality but the rest of it is that you don't believe you deserve to be complimented so you get all embarrassed and that I do blame on your mother. If she had raised you like a mother should you wouldn't have all these self-doubt, self-image or self-esteem problems and also part of its your dad's fault because he left you mostly on your own while he either worked or went fishing."

"I only saw him in the summers and on holidays when I was younger and from what I remember he didn't handle strong emotions well. It was a very rare occasion if he even hugged me as he wasn't the touchy-feely type," Bella pointed out.

"Which is why I mainly blame your mother since you lived with her for most of your life."

"I'll try to have a little more self-confidence," Bella promised him.

"Don't force it as it will come in time. That kind of thing comes when you feel good about yourself and who you are as a person. I'll be there to help you every step of the way that I promise you."

"I love you," Bella told him kissing his chin. "You've always been there when I needed you."

"And I always will be," Jasper promised her kissing the top of her head.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

They landed in Bern many hours later and Jasper already had a hangar all reserved for his Gulfstream when it wasn't in use.

Bella didn't say anything about the cost of renting the hanger because she knew that Jasper had enough money to not worry about such things, that it was mere pocket change to him, but it still went against her grain to spend so much at one time, her upbringing and the fact that she had always been the one to pay the bills was responsible for that she knew. Even if she did have five hundred billion dollars to her name now and no longer had to worry about money it still bothered her. Maybe in a century or two it wouldn't.

"Well, shall we go darlin'?" asked Jasper as soon as they had finished filling out the paperwork and gone through customs showing their passports and visas for they were not only visiting the country but were intending to live here for at least the next ten years or maybe more. Since they would be living outside of society and not interacting with many people like the Cullens always had they could probably settle here for the next thirty or forty years if they really wanted to.

"Yes," Bella answered as she took Jasper's offered hand and they walked over to where Jasper had a car waiting. The car of course had been bought when Jasper was still in Italy and he had had it delivered to the airport by the time they had gotten through customs. The car was a nice one, Bella noticed immediately. It was a sports car of course painted all black with a wide silver stripe on each side. Bella didn't want to think about how much the car had cost as it was a BMW and even she knew that they were bloody expensive, not to mention she was pretty sure that the silver stripes had been custom painted and that would have cost even more.

"Quit worry about the cost," Jasper told her in an uncanny echo of her thoughts. He knew her so well and knew how she thought. "I have more money then I know what to do with and a lot of it is right here in Switzerland. Besides what's the point of having money if you don't spend it? What good does it do you sitting in a bank gathering interest and not being used to make you happy and to make life a little easier?"

"You're right," Bella admitted. "I know you are, but saving money is so ingrained that I look at the cost of everything and then add it up in my head and it makes me dizzy just thinking about all the money being spent even though I know intellectually that we have plenty of it. I think it's because I'm the one that paid the bills growing up and I had to figure out what we could afford and what we couldn't. I suppose those traits just stayed with me after I was changed."

"I didn't say I didn't understand it as I went through something similar after I got away from Maria but I finally trained myself to just not worry about it as I knew I had plenty of money and as soon as we get settled I'll help you do the same so you aren't always worrying what something cost and just buy what you like."

"How did you train yourself not to worry about the cost?" asked Bella curiously.

"Well I simply quit looking at price tags. I just bought whatever I wanted and distracted myself whenever someone told me the price. Of course I didn't pay the bills when I was growing up but when I was born things were much cheaper so it used to bother me when prices started to rise due to the changing times or because of inflation. Nowadays whenever I buy something like a car I know how to bargain but that took practice as cars hadn't even been invented in the 1840's. There were steam powered vehicles but the first gas powered passenger car wasn't invented until almost thirty years later or about eight years after I was changed."

"I don't know how in the the world you stopped yourself from either looking at price tags or from hearing how much something cost."

"It took a lot of willpower but I did it simply by reminding myself that I had more money to my name then before I was changed," Jasper admitted. "It took more then twenty years for me to stop worrying about the cost as my vampire brain seemed to want to hang onto the fact that my family hadn't had much money growing up. Why I remembered that and not what my family looked like or even how many siblings I had I don't have a clue."

"You know the mind is a funny thing and medical science hasn't advanced so far that they understand how the brain really works," said Bella. "So maybe your brain remembered that instead of your family as a defense mechanism. It would have hurt more to remember the people that you would never see again then to remember something like not having a lot of money when you were growing up. Not to mention you were changed just so you could fight in that bloody bitch's war for territory and I'm sure you didn't have time to think about such things as the family you had lost, not to mention it probably would have hurt to much."

Jasper was silent for a while and Bella gave him plenty of time to think as he drove because in that way they were very similar and they needed time and space to process their thoughts and think clearly.

"You're right," Jasper conceded after while. "My mind chose to focus on something much simpler like money instead of my family."

"So back to what we were talking about, do you think the same process will work for me?"

"Probably, especially if I am around to distract you," Jasper said quirking his eyebrow at her.

"Oh and how would you distract me?" asked Bella trying to sound nonchalant but her voice betrayed her as her mind was already thinking of ways in which Jasper could distract her mind from paying attention. Of course he couldn't do to much in public but there was still plenty he could do and not get them arrested.

"Well, let's see," said Jasper appearing thoughtful. "First I would send you my emotions of lust so you would be to distracted trying to contain your reaction so you wouldn't even think to look at the price tag. Then I would kiss you on those beautiful and plump lips of yours. I would then nibble and lick on your earlobe..." Jasper then went on to describe exactly what he would do to his mate and his wife two and a half weeks.

Bella panted as Jasper described what he would do to her in the middle of a public place. "Unfortunately I can't do anything else in public but once I got you home..." Jasper wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"How far until we reach this place you bought?" Bella demanded her voice harsh and ragged with suppressed passion.

"Why darlin' is there something wrong?" asked Jasper innocently his expression as pure as the new driven snow.

"You know perfectly well what you did to me and you did it on purpose," Bella told him half playfully her breathing still harsh although it was slowly returning to normal.

"Now would I do that?" asked Jasper sending out waves of innocence.

"Yes," Bella told him bluntly not falling for the innocent act or the emotions he was sending out. "You know how much I want you all the time and you take advantage of that fact as often as you possibly can. Not that I'm complaining mind you but just so we're clear on the fact that I don't fall for your act. As far as I'm concerned you can put your hands, teeth, lips, tongue or any other part of you that you desire all over me, and not only will I not complain I will participate in whatever you plan on doing to me happily and enthusiastically."

Jasper growled lowly at his wife's words causing a faint rumbling in is chest. "And you don't take advantage of the fact that I want you just as much as often as you possibly can?" Jasper demanded.

"I never claimed I didn't," purred Bella as she leaned over and caressed his cheek with her tongue.

"It's a good thing we're almost there because I want you so bad wife of mine," said Jasper his breathing harsh as Bella continued to use her tongue on his cheek and earlobe.

"Just as bad as I want you," Bella assured him sending him her lust.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

They arrived at the place Jasper had bought and he had barely closed the door when Bella was all over him. "I've been wanting you for the last hour," she told her mate.

Jasper certainly wasn't going to complain and stripped both of them so fast that it was barely a millisecond later that both were laying on the cold wooden floors all over each other.

There wasn't time for much foreplay as that was what they had been doing in the car and Jasper entered her swiftly nibbling on one of her breasts, while one of his hands was gently and tenderly stroking her thigh, the other tangled in her hair pulling gently at the roots.

Bella moaned and purred and responded immediately to the things that her mate was doing to her. She tangled her hands into his hair and lifted her hips off the floor so that Jasper's manhood could go as deep as possible and when it hit her clit she groaned as the sensations it was causing were so wonderful. Her orgasm built rapidly and it wasn't more then minutes later after Jasper had rammed the general home a few times that they both went over the edge.

"See what you do to me woman?" Jasper demanded breathing harshly showing his mate his member which was already standing, stiff and at attention again after he had come down from his orgasm. "This is what it is like all the time. I want you every second of every day."

"Just as much as I want you even if it isn't as obvious," Bella told him as she ran a hand over his well defined chest. "Just watching as you walk around shirtless is enough to do it for me. Or I get so aroused just watching the way you move, which is so beautifully lethal that I get wet. It doesn't take much at all for me to want you, not that you can tell unless you have a very sensitive nose, like a vampire. Now why don't we take care of that shall we," she added as she took her husband's penis in her hands and gently ran her hand along it squeezing it gently.

Jasper groaned as his wife used her tongue and ran it over the very tip of his member licking and sucking up every drop of liquid before finally taking it into her mouth and sucking on it. As she was doing that she gently pinched his nipples and ran a hand up and down his chest causing him to groan and then purr. Jasper leaned up and using his hands ran them down Bella's back while using his mouth to suck on one of her nipples. Bella groaned and she could feel the familiar pleasure building within her and it wasn't long before they both went over the edge, Jasper into his mate's mouth and her all over his lower chest as her orgasm just squirted out of her.

They both lay there for a a few minutes waiting for their breathing returned to normal.

"So shall we go and see if we can find the bed?" Bella asked.

"Yes," said Jasper, "just don't expect to be getting out of it anytime soon as there are some things I've been wanting to try."

"That's fine with me," Bella purred as she seductively ran a hand up and down his inner thigh using her finger to stroke the sensitive skin there.

"Bed now, my mate," Jasper ordered roughly The Major starting to show out of his eyes.

Jasper picked Bella up causing her to squeal and giggle as he threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and it wasn't more then a second later that she was being placed on a king sized bed. Immediately Jasper was all over her kissing, licking and biting her everywhere but especially along her inner thighs and the side of her neck where his mating mark was.

Bella groaned and then Jasper stopped for just a second, "What did you stop for?" Bella demanded her breathing ragged.

"I told you I was going to try something new and so I shall," said Jasper now fully in major mode. "I don't want you to do anything, let me do the work," The Major ordered. The Major looked down at his mate and had no trouble smelling that she was already aroused and ready for him just with his authoritative command his mate's body had responded instinctively and produced a reaction. It didn't really take much to bring her an orgasm but that was only because they loved each other so much and because they were attracted to each other. It would not be half as satisfying if they were merely causal partners out for a one night stand but because they truly loved, cared and found each other sexy and desirable both their reactions were always powerful and that was without actual penetration of his penis some of the time.

Jasper lay down on top of his mate and started kissing her all the way from her mating mark down to her breast which he then nibbled on.

Bella groaned as the pressure began to quickly build and she dug her fingers into the mattress trying her best not to react as The Major had commanded although it was near impossible. Two of Jasper's fingers entered her vagina and she could feel him moving his finger around as if searching for something and it wasn't more than a second later that he seemed to find it.

The second he rubbed a finger on that spot was the second her body reacted and her orgasm was so powerful that if she had been human she could have been unconscious. "JAAAAASSSSSPPPPPEEEEERRRRRRR ! SSSSSSSSHHHHHHIIIIIIITTTTTT! she yelled so loud that if the house hadn't been miles from anyone else the neighbors would have been able to hear them.

"Damn what the hell was that!?" Bella questioned as soon as she had enough of her breath back to speak.

"That was what is known as the A-spot which is on the same vaginal wall as the G-spot but further upward and toward where the vagina starts to curve. It is supposed to be very sensitive to the touch but as I'd never tried it I didn't know," Jasper explained with a smirk no longer in major mode.

He has every right to smirk to as all he had to do was barely touch that spot and my reaction was more intense then anything I've ever felt, Bella thought muzzily.

"Shit," said Bella still looking somewhat dazed. "Feel free to do that to me anytime you like as I've never come so hard and so fast. All you had to do was barely brush that spot and I orgasmed so hard that my vagina sprayed liquid all over you and look at what I did to the mattress," she added as she saw where her fingers had left holes and the stuffing was starting to come out.

"We'll buy another mattress tomorrow," promised Jasper as he looked at the holes with a pleased and smug smirk. "And anyway I don't mind that your body sprayed liquid on me as I love having your scent all over me and it's just another sign to me that your body responds to what I do to it," said Jasper.

"Of course it responds," said Bella. "You are the only man my body has ever responded to and no I'n not talking about making out," she added when Jasper looked about ready to interrupt. "I'm talking about the fact that unlike most of my classmates I never fantasized about a particular boy because none of them held the slightest bit of attraction to me. I never masturbated because I never could picture a particular boy that I wanted to be more then friends with in my mind. To me every boy seemed not only immature but in a lot of cases childish and before you ask, yes, that includes Edward. Sure I had a crush on him, and sure at the time I was very attracted to his looks but it is more then looks that makes me like someone."

"Like what?" asked Jasper curiously.

"Well I'm not saying I have anything against handsome men, I'm in love with a very handsome man after all," said Bella rubbing a thumb against her husband's cheek tenderly, "but they also have to treat me like an equal, listen to my opinion and take it into account, be able to hold an intelligent conversation, not be overbearing, controlling, or overprotective, allow me to make my own decisions and not treat me as some kind of pet who has the intelligence of a bug. It also helps if they share at least some of the same interest as a relationship can't just be about physical attraction or it is doomed to eventually fail."

"You've thought about this a lot," said Jasper.

"Yes I suppose I did, when I was human, before I met you of course," said Bella. "And while it's true I never did masturbate about ordinary boys, after I met you, before we knew we were mates or even really knew anything about each other, I did masturbate while picturing you in my mind," she added glad she couldn't blush anymore although she was sure that Jasper could just feel the embarrassment rolling off her. "I was so attracted to you even then that when I did masturbate and thought of you the orgasms were powerful and did the trick of relieving the tension."

"And how was masturbating compared to making actual love with me?" asked Jasper genuinely curious as to the answer.

"There is no comparison, none at all," Bella admitted softly. "Comparing masturbating while imagining you, to actually making love to the real deal is like comparing a grain of sand to a whole fucking beach or to a hundred beaches all filled with grains of sand." Jasper smirked at Bella's description of what having sex with him was like. When she compared making love to masturbating and the way she said it made him extremely happy. "I thought it was really great at the time when I masturbated thinking of you but then we actually started making love and I just couldn't imagine why I had thought masturbation was so wonderful."

"And you never imagined Edward when you were trying to masturbate?" asked Jasper already feeling just a little jealous of his former brother getting the same kind of reaction from his mate especially considering his actions that had led to his rather painful demise. If she did get a reaction it is hardly her fault as they were dating at the time and we didn't know we were mates, Jasper reminded himself while waiting for his wife's reply.

"I did," Bella admitted ducking her head in embarrassment as she admitted that fact but continued anyway, "but even though I had no trouble imagining his crooked smile or his messy bronze hair I never actually had an orgasm while thinking of him. I suppose that should have been my first clue that I didn't like him enough for him to give me an orgasm. While you, before we really even knew anything about each other, could give me an orgasm so powerful that I was often surprised that Charlie never came to make sure I was alright."

Jasper and The Major were both very pleased at their mate's answer and The Major crowed in triumph inside the man that was Jasper Whitlock. She's mine! Mine! Mine! Heart, body, soul, mind. She's a hundred percent mine, The Major exalted. No other man has ever caused her to have an orgasm even while she was just masturbating. Her subconscious and heart knew it belonged to one specific man and that it was her fate to meet and be the mate of a vampire even if her conscious mind did not which is why she never showed the slightest interest in dating other boys her age. She was to mature for them anyway and they wouldn't have held her interest for long even if she had dated one of them. I am the only man that has or ever will touch her in that way.

"I suppose I wasn't one of those girls that could get an orgasm just from imagining any handsome boy I was even marginally attracted to."

"Even if your mind didn't know that we were meant to be your body and your heart probably recognized the signs of the mating bond," Jasper suggested with a pleased smirk, "which is more than likely why when you did masturbate and imagine him you never got the reaction you were expecting."

"It could be," Bella admitted. "Not that it really matters anymore, since I have you and Edward is no longer able to interfere in my life. I also think that because I wasn't as shallow as most of my schoolmates and that I was so picky when it concerned having a boyfriend that my mind just wouldn't react to just any boy, no matter how handsome or popular he was. I always did think I was a freak, not ever having a boyfriend until I moved to Forks and I am seventeen when I finally get my first and only boyfriend who turns out to be a vampire out of legends."

"Don't ever let me hear you call yourself a freak again," Jasper ordered sternly kissing her and holding her close. "You were not a freak, you were just more mature then your peers and that might make you a little different but that doesn't mean that you are a freak. If anybody was a freak it was your own mother who couldn't even take care of her only child and raise her like a mother should. With the way you grew up of course you were going to be different from your classmates because I am sure they didn't have to worry where their next meals were coming from or about paying bills instead of going to the movies or just hanging out with friends. When you are the one who is so responsible of course you aren't going to have normal teenage concerns, like homework, dating, or just spending time at the local teenage hangouts."

"It was just a figure of speech, Jasper," Bella protested surprised at his outburst.

"Maybe it is just a figure of speech as you put it for most other people but I can feel that you really believe you are a freak and you aren't," Jasper told her turning into The Major for just a moment and becoming stern and commanding. "Not everybody is the same you know, life would be very boring if we were all alike now wouldn't it? Like for example if any of your classmates had figured out there were actually vampires living practically next door they would have run away screaming and then alert adults who would not believe it while you on the other hand figured us out and not only believed it didn't run away."

"That kind of proves my point don't you think?" asked Bella dryly with a smirk.

"No, I don't," said Jasper. "My point to all this is that not everybody is the same. There are some people who believe that the earth is flat even when it has been proven otherwise, some who believe that aliens are living among us in disguise and other's who believe that the space program is going to destroy the earth because the goal is to eventually colonize other planets."

"Why would anybody think that colonizing other planet's would destroy the earth?" asked Bella with a raised eyebrow disbelief radiating off her.

"Because there are certain environmentalist groups out there that believe if we colonize other planets that we are abandoning mother earth and she will rise up and destroy the human race."

"That's just...short-sighted," Bella suggested after a moment of thinking about what Jasper had said.

"Let't not forget stupid," said Jasper dryly.

"I was trying to be polite although I agree with you," said Bella with a half smile. "So do you think that the human race will eventually colonize other planets?"

"Oh yes," said Jasper. "I really don't think that colonizing other planets is all that far off. I'd say another fifty to a hundred years before we have faster then light travel, you know like they show in all those sci-fi movies and TV shows. Technology is advancing all the time and not only do I think it is possible that the human race will be out in space I think eventually we will meet alien species. I don't believe that humans are the only intelligent life in the universe."

"You do know if you told your views to most people that you would be denounced as a lunatic right?" asked Bella playfully with a quirk of her lips.

"Which is usually why I never tell anyone my views, but just you wait until a hundred years from now people will see that I am right."

"When did you come up with your rather unusual views?" asked Bella.

"Oh I've had the theory for quite a few years now," said Jasper. "I mean, technology is advancing so fast you know that sometime in the near future someone will create the first interplanetary space drive and then the first spaceship. I suppose that most humans never think about the fact that there is probably other life out there but when you have lived as long as I have and you see the changes and advances in not only technology but in science, medicine and about any other field you can name then it is not that hard to imagine that the human race traveling to other planets and eventually colonizing some of them."

"Traveling to other planets," Bella mused. "I never thought about the fact that that could happen someday."

"Most humans don't and I believe that it is simply because human lives are so short that they are barely a flicker in the universal scheme of things before that flicker dies and they are gone. Of course now humans live a lot longer then they did when I was born. In my era you were lucky if you reached forty and if you lived past that then you were considered elderly, but now most humans in this century reach at least eighty-five and there are some who live into their nineties or even to a hundred or more. In fact the oldest living human, that is known about anyway, was a hundred and twenty-two when he finally passed on. I don't believe it will be long before the human race has figured out how to extend their lifespan."

"But not indefinitely," said Bella.

"No of course not," said Jasper. "That would be impossible as eventually their bodies would give out, but once science has advanced enough I wouldn't be surprised if the humans figure out a way to extend their short lives by at least a hundred or two hundred and fifty years. Haven't you ever heard the quote: The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak? That's from the bible, Matthew 26:41."

"You know you might be right that humans will learn to extend their lifespans. I mean they have already invented, artificial hearts, lungs, organs, and even eyes. I'm sure over time those things will be improved upon until they can be used to extend the lifetime of your average human."

"Even now we are coming into a new age, an age of constant change. Not all those changes are good of course, for as many advances as have been made in science, technology, medicine, humans are always discovering new ways to kill each other off."

"Well let's just hope they don't kill off the entire species because if they die, we die," said Bella dryly.

"I don't think that is to likely," said Jasper. "Humans are very prolific and the average family has at least two children and those children have children, and so forth on down the line. Plus some people have eight, nine or ten children or even more so I don't believe the human race is in danger of dying out."

"Yes but as you pointed out, humans are always coming up with new ways to kill each other off. Just look at today, we have biological warfare, chemical, radiological and nuclear weapons, and before that we had, guns, tanks, and bombs, which are still used even today, all designed to kill each other at a distance instead of up close and personal like with swords or spears before those weapons of destruction were invented. With the humans need for violence I'm actually surprised they've survived as a species."

"By the time humans reached that stage though they were already very numerous so perhaps it isn't all that surprising," Jasper suggested enjoying the discussion immensely as it had been a long time that he had had anyone to talk to about things like this. None of the other Cullens shared his interest in war, history, or the advances in technology, although he supposed that wasn't precisely true as Carlisle had kept up with the latest advances in medicine, Rose with the advances in cars and engines and Emmett with the latest video game systems. Their interests were or had been rather narrow though as there was much more technology out there then those specific things and humans were inventing new things all the time.

"You know I've enjoyed this discussion more then any other I've had in a long, long, long time," said Jasper.

"Why?" asked Bella cocking her head curiously with a raised eyebrow.

"Because none of the other Cullens shared my interest. Carlisle kept up with advances in medicine, Rose keeps up with the advances in cars and engines and Emmett with new video gaming systems, but their interests were or are very narrow and I've always been a history buff and not a single one of the family shared my love for history and especially not my love for reading books about wars, strategies of the past and the advances of technology. You however stimulate me and I don't believe I've ever enjoyed a discussion so much."

Bella felt embarrassment at Jasper's compliment but didn't say anything.

"Where did you learn so much about war and weapons?" asked Jasper.

"Well I read a lot when I was human and although I won't deny I enjoyed classical literature like Wuthering Heights, Shakespeare, and other classical authors like Lucy Maud Montgomery, Kenneth Grahame, Jack London, Joesph Conrad and Emily Bronte. Romance was my favorite but I also read other things including history and even newspapers for current events so I kept up with what was happening in the world unlike most, if not all of my classmates. I suppose a lot of it just stayed with me after I was changed. I can't stand horror though or even sci-fi and fantasy."

"I've always liked to read to and I enjoy about anything really, although my favorite is of course history. I think that is why we are so close and would be even if we weren't mates," said Jasper. "A relationship, as you said earlier is about more then physical attraction, it's about sharing interests. You don't have to share every single little interest but to like some of the same things is what makes the relationship strong."

"What interests do we share, besides reading?" asked Bella.

"Well for one thing we both let our demons out to play and most of our kind either won't do that or never lock their demons away. For another we can't stand to see someone innocent being taken advantage of, especially children and when we do see something like that happening we do something about it. Also we like to torture people but only those who deserve it and we don't do that kind of thing to the innocent. We both like the simple things in life, watching a sunset or sunrise, being still and just enjoying the silence holding each other and also in clothes as we don't need designer labels and are in fact more comfortable in jeans and simple shirts."

"Or comfortable being buck naked," Bella suggested with a smirk looking at her husband's naked body as if it was a favorite treat that she would just love to lick all up.

"Or walking around buck naked," Jasper agreed with a smirk as he felt his wife's lust as she looked at his body. "Also we both love cars, motorcycles and speed."

"That interest for me is very recent as I was very scared of the speed you vampires drove while I was human," Bella pointed out turning serious again.

"Doesn't matter even if you only became into it after you were changed as it is still an interest we share. So you see we share a lot of common interest which keeps a relationship heathy and strong and I have no doubt we have more similar interests that we will discover as we go along."

"You forgot to mention that we love having sex as we seem to spend most of our time in bed," said Bella with a smirk.

"That's true enough, but it is also true for every mated couple so doesn't really count."

"You also forgot to mention that we both love adventure and are planning on going to all those exotic places eventually and that we both don't mind shopping for a few hours here and there but can't do it all day every day like a certain pixie we were both acquainted with," Bella added with a smirk.

"See you are already thinking of others things that we share an interest in," said Jasper.

"What about Emmett and Rosalie, what interests do they share?"

"Well they both love cars and traveling but other then that I don't know. Except for making out in semi public places a lot of their interests are private."

They were both silent for a while needing time to process their thoughts. "Do you think we will ever be able to travel in space?" asked Bella finally. "You know explore unknown worlds and meet alien species?"

"I don't know," said Jasper looking thoughtful. "Unfortunately we could never really go very far from where humans resided as they are our food source and as you pointed out we could not survive without them."

"Well who knows, they might come up with some kind of artificial blood to be used in the medical field when someones needs a blood transfusion and maybe it will be close enough to real blood so that it sustains us and maybe we could drink alien blood although I don't know if that is a possibility or not as who knows if an alien's blood is similar enough to a human's to give us what we need to sustain us."

"Those are good ideas, but as you pointed out questions that at the moment at least don't have answers, but now Mrs. Whitlock as much as I have enjoyed this discussion I believe your participation is required in this next activity."

"Oh and what activity is that?" asked Bella innocently with a raised eyebrow.

"You now perfectly well what I am talking about," said Jasper as he was immediately on top of her kissing all up and down her body and this was how they spent the rest of the night and most of the next day after Bella had greeted Charlie at sunrise.

End Flashback

"Wow! This place is really spectacular," said Chris as all four Whitlocks entered the front door of the nightclub

"It used to be an expensive restaurant that went out of business a few years ago due to a not large enough clientele and poor management," Jasper explained. "The people ho owned the building were so glad to get rid of it that they didn't charge us as much as they could have. The building was sitting abandoned for years and years until Rosalie, Emmett, Bella and I combined our money and bought it. It's not that one of us couldn't have bought it by ourselves but this way all four of us are co-owners and get a share of the profits."

"And unlike the restaurant the club is doing very well. In fact just within the last year Rose hired a human day manager and the club is now open 24 hours a day, five days a week and is only open at night on the weekends." Bella added.

"Bella!" a very familiar voice boomed as the four of them entered the front door of the club that had been left unlocked.

"Emmett!" Bella exclaimed running right into her brother's arms.

"God, Bells, it's so good to see you," said Emmett hugging her so tightly he lifted her off her feet several inches.

"You just saw me last year when you and rose came to visit remember," Bella reminded him.

"I know, but I still missed you," said Emmett.

"Well, I missed you too," Bella assured him kissing his cheek.

Emmett finally released her so he could go over and greet Jasper and the twins. Chris and Sofia had met both Emmett and Rose on a couple of occasions when they had come to visit Jasper and Bella in Philadelphia and both really liked Emmett as he was very fun loving. As for Rose it had taken a while for the twins to warm up to her and she to them but they were all good friends now.

"So where's Rose?" asked Jasper as he looked around the club to see what had changed since he hadn't set foot within it's doors since the grand opening six years ago.

"I'm here," said Rose coming from the office that was down the same hall that the restrooms were located on her high heels tapping on the hardwoods floor. "I was just finishing up some paperwork right quick."

"Hey at least you don't have to do it at human speed and that means you get done much faster then if you couldn't," said Bella.

"True enough," said Rose as she came over to give Bella and then Jasper hugs. "Why don't we all go sit down so we can talk. Emmett, why don't you go get us a bottle of that special 'wine' and six glasses." The way Rose empathized the word wine made it clear to the six vampires that she was talking about the bottled blood mixed with water that was kept specifically for their kind.

"Sure, babe," Emmett responded. "I'll be right back." Emmett rose from his seat and headed towards the bar and once there went behind it and through a doorway that a large fridge was kept with nothing but the bottled blood that the Volturi sent them for a share of the profits.

"So how are you two adjusting to vampire life?" Rose asked the twins.

"Pretty well, all things considered," Sofia answered.

"What do you mean all things considered?" asked Emmett

"We just meant that there are some things we never had a chance to do when we were human," Chris answered.

"Like what?" asked Rose.

"Well, try alcohol for one," answered Sofia. "Chris's and mine twenty-first birthday was only a couple of months away when we were turned into vampires and we had decided before we even knew that they were real to go to this club that was really popular with the college kids and now we'll never have a chance to do that."

"You can still go to a club even if you can't drink," Rose pointed out.

"True, but for some reason it isn't quite the same."

"I suppose not," Rose agreed.

"We go to clubs all the time in order to find us a meal since it is less likely that anybody will track back any dead bodies that are discovered to us but it's still a shame that we can't drink or at least we can't if we don't want to throw it back up later."

"Trust me you don't want to as it tastes like battery acid going down," Jasper added having had to drink alcohol once years ago in order to keep up appearances.

"Does it?" asked Sofia. "We didn't know that."

"I had to drink a beer once in order to keep up appearances," Jasper explained, "and as bad as it was going down, regurgitating it later was much, much worse," he added making a face.

"When was this?" asked Bella cocking her head.

"It was after I had joined the Cullens but years before you were born," said Jasper.

"I remember that incident," said Emmett with a smirk as he recalled what had happened. "It was 197..." Emmett paused trying to remember, 1978? Or was it 79?"

"It was August 18, 1979, a day that shall live on in my memory as one of the worst days of my life," said Jasper with a grimace as he remembered. "I'll tell you the story another time," Jasper promised his wife and the twins, "but let me just say that at the time it happened it wasn't funny in the least even if it is now."

"What other things did you not get a chance to do while you were human?" asked Emmett changing the subject back to what it had been originally.

"Well we always wanted to learn to ski and yes I'm aware we can still learn that but it won't be as much of a challenge since we are practically indestructible now. In fact any sport we try now won't be as much fun since we can run, jump or throw without getting out of breath, sweaty or tired and we'll be able to do anything we try perfectly," said Chris.

"It's not that we miss sweating so much but now that we are so hard to injure it just won't be the same when we do try something new. There's no challenge to something if there isn't any risk no matter how small."

"But just think you can go really, really fast," said Emmett with a look of glee in his eyes, "faster then any human would dare to go for fear of killing themselves."

"There is that," Chris admitted who had always been addicted to speed even as a human.

"So what are your plans while you are here?" asked Rose.

"See some of the sights or course," said Bella. "The ones we didn't see when we were here for your grand opening. Go to the Eiffel Tower, walk down the Champs Elysées, do the Latin Quarter, stuff we didn't have time to do when we here the last time."

"Go to the Louvre, Notre Dame and Versailles," Sofia added.

"You don't have to see it all it one trip you know," Emmett said. "You are immortal now you know and I'm sure you will come back to France again and again.

"Probably," Chris agreed as he took a sip of his blood from his wine glass.

"You know," said Rosalie after a moment, "I never thought that after Jasper changed Bella into one of our kind that he would ever change anyone else. You once told me that you were forced to do to much of that during your years in the southern wars," Rose added looking at Jasper.

"I never thought I would either," Jasper admitted, "but when Bella met Sofia on her first day of college and then later we both met her brother it was as if we had known them all our lives. The first time we met it wasn't with the awkwardness of four strangers meeting for the first time but as if all four of us were old friends and had been for years."

"Yes that is exactly how it felt," Bella remembered. "When I first met Sofia it was like we had already known each other although before that moment we had never even met."

"I remember that day we first met as clear as a bell which is kind of strange if you think about it since a lot of my other memories have faded," Sofia began softly after a thoughtful silence.

"Which is to be expected," said Rose.

"Yes I know, but in any case the day I met Bella was very strange in a way."

"In what way?" asked Jasper curiosity coloring his tone.

"Just that it wasn't at all like me to just approach someone like I did. It wasn't that I was shy just that I had never been so bold since our parents had died. I believe their deaths changed me."

"It did," said Chris. "I know we were only nine when they died but I still remember that day as clearly as if it just happened yesterday instead of sixteen years ago. Sofia used to be one of those people that could make friends with anybody from the boy next door to the postman who came to collect the mail. She was very outgoing and friendly but then one day a policeman came to our door and informed us and our babysitter that there had been a terrible car crash and that neither one of our parents had even made it to the hospital."

"What made it even worse was that mom was five months pregnant and she had just informed us a few days before they died that it was going to be a boy and that we were going to be a big sister and brother," Sofia remembered her expression grief stricken.

"Why they even went out I don't know as the weather was terrible. There had even been flood warnings and it was raining so hard you were soaked through almost instantly the second you went outside. You could hardly see your hand in front of your face so I don't know how they expected to safely drive in it," Chris continued.

"I remember it was thundering and lightning and the thunder was so loud that it almost sounded like it was in the house with us instead of outside. Anyway the policeman informed us that our parents car had slid on the road and went through the railing and over a cliff. Ever since that day I withdrew into myself and I was very quiet which was unlike me and Chris wasn't the same either. With Bella though it was different and instead of being one of those people who kept to herself and didn't make friends easily the minute I saw her it was as if something inside me woke up from a long sleep and recognized her as someone I should have known even though before that day we had never met."

"I felt the exact same way," said Bella after a minute of completive silence.

"Tell me, have you ever heard of reincarnation?" asked Jasper slowly.

"Sure," everybody at the table answered.

"But do you believe that it is possible?"

"To be reincarnated?" asked Rose looking a little disbelieving.

"Before I met Sofia and Chris and feel like we've always been a family I would have said no that I did not believe in reincarnation," said Bella slowly, "but now I don't know what to believe."

"Well I do believe in reincarnation as I have encountered people in my two hundred and seventy-five years that reminded me of people I have known and I'm not talking about just surface features but characteristics that were unique to that person. Such an occurrence doesn't happen often but every once in a while I will come across someone who I just seem to instinctively feel comfortable around Peter and Char being two of them. You all know me and know that usually it takes me awhile to be completely comfortable around someone new and trust them enough to be more than just casual acquaintances. Peter was one of the few people that I trusted and felt I should have already known from the very beginning and Char to when she came along about five years later. Within just minutes of meeting them it was like I had known them in another lifetime. Bella was another that I felt that way about from the first moment Edward brought her home to meet the family even though we never exchanged more then hellos until that incident with James. I trusted her from the very beginning and now you two. Just like with Peter, Char and Bella the moment I met you it was like I had been socked in the gut as something in me recognized having known you before," Jasper said looking at the twins. "There have been other people over the years but even though I felt I should have known them back then I wasn't letting myself get to close to humans. Anyway every time this happened I felt a spark of recognition as if I had known them in the past. If it had only happened once I would have just dismissed it but it has happened at least a dozen times over the two hundred and seventy-five years."

"It's true what Jasper has said," Rose concurred looking thoughtful. "I remember when he joined the family he kept himself aloof for a lot of years as if he didn't quite trust any of us. It took Emmett and I a lot of work to become friends with him and after we did he would talk to both of us about everything knowing we would never break his trust by telling anybody what we had talked about. With the rest of the Cullens though he would just exchange small talk but nothing personal or that could be used against him. On the other hand none of the other Cullens really put in any effect to get to know him and that includes Alice. The strange thing is that the minute he saw Bella he wanted to get to know her which for him was practically a miracle."

"But Edward got there first," Emmett said.

"And I wasn't going to get in Edward's way," Jasper said. "It wasn't out of any sort of respect for Edward but I felt that Bella should be allowed to make her own decisions as to who she was going to date and even if I thought the decision was wrong it was still her choice."

"But what about the fact that you were mates?" asked Sofia.

"If I had known we were mates I would have, of course, found a way to get close to her but I didn't know until her eighteenth birthday party and the paper cut. I knew I was attracted to her but I had liked other woman in the past even though I had never been attracted to anyone so fast as it usually took time for me to warm up to someone. I figured it was only infatuation and would fade with time, besides I was married at the time so I kept my feelings a secret."

"All four of us have often wondered over the years if Alice 'saw' what was going to happen in one of her visions and so decided to throw Bella a birthday party whether she wanted one or not. Perhaps if she hadn't thrown that party Jasper and Bella would never have known that they were mates."

"A thought that still makes me shudder whenever I think of it," said Jasper. "As much as I miss Alice, Carlisle and Esme I can live without them but if Bella had died...or if we had never discovered we were mates..."

"I've always wondered why Alice just could have told us we were mates," said Bella speaking for the first time in some minutes. "Why go through all the trouble of throwing me a birthday party when just telling us was a whole lot simpler?"

"She more than likely checked the future and saw that the birthday party was the only way. If there's one thing I knew about Alice is that she used her talent religiously and never planned anything without first checking it. As much as I hate to admit it, it was also one of her greatest faults as well as one of her greatest strength."

"I can see what you mean," said Emmett slowly as he thought about it. "Her talent was useful because it got us out of more then one bad situation over the years, situations that could have been much worse without her warnings but she also relied on it more than she should instead of relying on herself."

"Exactly, she used her talent for every little thing and it didn't matter if it was for something major like watching out for someone being suspicious of us but for everyday decisions as well," said Jasper. "I probably knew her better than anyone else in the family and as much as I tried to convince her not to use her talent for every little thing she never listened."

"And the more she used her talent for seeing the future the more likely it was that something important was eventually going to slip through the cracks," said Rose.

"But didn't you say that Edward knew how to get around her talent?" asked Sofia remembering the conversation from five years ago when they had first become vampires.

"Yes, but the point I was trying to make was that if she had spent the time really getting to know him instead of depending on her visions she might have been able to see his duplicity and not have lost her life and maybe she could have gotten Carlisle to listen."

"There's no reason to continue to discuss what might have been as we'll never know," said Bella. "Why torture ourselves with what ifs?"

"You're right, darlin'," said Jasper said leaning over and kissing the side of his wife's head. "There's no point of wondering if things could have been different. I've always believed that things happen a certain way for a reason whether we know or even understand what those reasons are."

Jasper changed the subject and started telling stories of his time with the Cullens with Rose, Emmett and Bella adding some stories as well. Pretty soon all six them were laughing so hard that they forgot all about what had happened with the Cullens over a century ago and this was the way they spent the next couple of hours until it was time to open the club and the human employees began to arrive.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Several hours later Jasper, Bella, Chris and Sofia sat in one of the small private rooms that was set aside specifically for their kind that came to the club and sipped at wine glasses filled with blood. All four observed the floor from a one way mirror.

"I think I'm going to go get me some dinner," Sofia said rising from her chair after emptying her glass of blood.

"We'll see you when you get back," said Bella calmly giving Sofia a kiss on the cheek.

"Emmett showed you the door that leads into the tunnel so you can feed in peace right?"

asked Jasper.

"Yes, I'll have no trouble finding it," Sofia responded opening the door to the room just enough so she could slip outside.

"I think I'll go find me something to eat to," said Chris a few minutes later as he had been watching the one-way mirror intently. Chris's expression was intense as he rose from his seat.

"What have you spotted?" asked Jasper intrigued as he saw Chris's intense expression. Chris's expression was one he recognized as he had seen it on his wife's face plenty of times as well as his own. The expression that Chris now wore meant that he had spotted his prey, someone who had annoyed him with their actions. Chris had been observing the floor through the one-way mirror much more intently then Jasper and Bella as they had been more interested in talking quietly and cuddling with each other.

"There's this girl, who looks no more then twenty-one over at one of the tables alone not bothering anyone and minding her own business but for the last ten minutes or so there's been this fellow who keeps trying to pick her up when it is clear that all she wants is to be left alone. This guy bought her a drink she didn't ask for, brought it over to her and then it looked like he tried to get her to agree to leave with him if the woman's actions are anything to go by.

"What did the woman do?" asked Bella sounding intrigued as she had been so lost in Jasper that she hadn't been paying attention to what was going on in the one-way mirror.

"She dumped the drink he bought for her on his head and from what I could see told him to go pester someone else."

Both Bella and Jasper snickered appreciatively at that. It was true they couldn't hear what was going out on the floor, well, besides just a loud murmur of indistinguishable voices and music but they could generally intercept peoples actions just by observing someone and then drawing from experience.

"What did the man do?" asked Bella looking interested.

"Well he didn't look to happy after the woman dumped her drink on his head, the drink he had bought for her no less and he started yelling at her looking as if he wanted to hit her but didn't actually do it because there were to many witnesses. He actually raised his hand in order to slap her but then stopped himself at the last possible moment. From the look on his face he didn't stop himself because he wanted to but because he realized there were far to many witnesses around and if the woman decided to charge him for harassment they would be able to confirm the woman's story."

"Sounds like this guy needs to be taught a lesson," Jasper suggested.

"I agree. A lesson that will be fatal," said Bella. "Would you like my help to lure this guy into the catacombs so you can have him for a meal?"

"Thanks that would be appreciated," said Chris gratefully. "I could lure him out on my own I'm sure but it would take longer and I'm thirsty."

"Then let's go get you some dinner. I'll meet you back here in a few minutes," Bella told Jasper giving him a kiss as well as sending him all the love she had for him.

"When you get back we'll go find our own dinner," Jasper promised his mate not at all jealous and his wife we going off with another man. Chris had no romantic feelings for Bella nor she for him. If anything Chris thought of Bella as an older sister and sometimes a mother figure while Bella thought of Chris like a son. Also he never would have accepted Chris into the family at all if he had felt that he was in love with his mate. Besides Bella made sure that he had nothing to be jealous about and let him know on a regular basis that she loved him and only him romantically.

"Sounds good, cowboy," said Bella rising from her seat at following Chris out the door.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

As Chris led the way towards the fellow who was now sitting at the bar looking about as upset and furious as a person could get and not have a heart attack or a stroke. Both of them could hear the man muttering so lowly that nobody should be able to understand him with all the noise of the crowd and the loud music. That is to say that no mere human would be able to understand what the man was muttering but since they were vampires they could understand perfectly well what the guy was saying. The guy was handsome enough, Bella noticed. Not as handsome as her Jasper but then for her anyway nobody could compare to her mate. The guy had dark wavy hair that was somewhere between brown and dark blond, black eyes, high cheek bones, and an aristocratic nose. All in all he was a very handsome man but sometimes when you were handsome you began to think you were god's gift to women and that nobody would every reject you until someone did and when that happened sometimes it made the person into a murderer. Bella knew that one of the greatest sins was pride and when someone's pride was hurt for whatever reason that could make the person into a murderer. Wasn't there a verse in the bible about pride going before a fall? Bella thought about it for a moment and them the whole phrase, which did come from the bible came to her and went 'Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.' Bella knew the statistics and knew that once someone murdered once, whether it was an accident or not it was easier to do it again and again, especially if you were also haughty just like it said in the bible verse.

"How dare she turn me down," the guy muttered darkly taking a sip of his beer. "No one turns me down, no one. She will pay, yes she will and when I am done with her she will wish that she had not said no to me."

The guy kept muttering and getting drunker and angrier with every sip of his beer.

"Well spotted, Chris," Bella said her voice low enough that only another vampire would have picked up her words which were so innocuous that nobody could have been suspicious of them. Bella's next words however would have been very suspicious if anybody but Chris had heard them. "You were right this guy needs to be taken care off. I shudder to think what his plans for that woman are and she did nothing but refuse him. With the way he talks is is likely he has done it before."

"You mean he could have raped or murdered or both before and never been caught?"

"Or he could be just starting out although with the way he is muttering about getting her just because she turned him down I doubt that it is his first time," said Bella who had had some experience with criminals. You could after all learn a lot in a hundred years about the criminal element and since they were after all her food source she had to know how criminals acted as she couldn't expect for all bad guys to make it obvious that they were on the wrong side of the law. "It can't be the first time he's been turned down by a woman and humans have been murdered for less."

Chris shook his head, "The human race sure is messed up if a woman is murdered just for refusing to have anything to do with a guy who was making a nuisance of himself when it was clear she wasn't interested."

"True, but here is what we are going to do," said Bella as she explained her plan to Chris.

"Alright, let's do it," said Chris looking determined.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Luring the man out was almost to easy as he had already been well on his way to being drunk before Chris had even showed up. All it took was for Chris to buy his target a few more drinks which he wouldn't have been able to do without raising suspicions if Emmett hadn't been behind the bar on that particular night. Normally if the guy had disappeared right after Chris had just been buying him drinks it would have been very suspicious but since the human bartender had called in sick less then an hour before the place opened for the night and Emmett had taken over it wasn't suspicious at all. Emmett to had heard the man's muttering and seen the man harassing the woman causing him to growl lowly and at a level undetectable to human hearing.

"It's humans like that that piss me off," Emmett had told Chris and Bella quietly. "I mean that woman, whose name is Laura by the way, is minding her own business and then this guy starts harassing her for no other reason then he wants to have sex with her and when she turns him down..."

"Yes we know," Chris said sympathetically, "But we won't have to worry about him much longer as I plan on making him a part of my meal."

"Good," said Emmett. "If anybody deserves it to be a meal for a vampire it's him. I was thinking about having him myself but as long as he is no longer around to bother our clients it doesn't really matter who feeds on him."

"That's very nice of you Emmett," said Bella giving his hand a squeeze.

"What can I say, except I've never cared about who I feed on, so long as they are criminals or deviants."

"Isn't it bad for business if you to feed on your clientele?" Chris quietly joked.

"Normally I make it a rule to never feed in the club but this fellow has been like a leech for the last year," Emmett said keeping his voice low. "This is not the first time he has bothered one of our customers or made a nuisance of himself. To tell you the truth and as you both are aware I am normally a pretty easygoing guy, it takes a lot to bother me but this fellow has managed to get on my last nerve."

Both Chris and Bella looked astonished at this statement for as Emmett had just said it took a lot to bother him and that this guy had managed to do it meant that he must have been more then the usual sort of pest.

"I don't like a man who preys on women. It is amazing to me that nobody has murdered this guy before this or at least threatened to turn him in and I'm not talking about by vampires but a woman he has harassed."

"Maybe they never had a chance," Chris suggested,

"A possibility I hadn't thought of," Emmett admitted looking a little sheepish.

"We'll see you when you get off work but now it's time to go get Chris some dinner. I'm looking forward to spending the next few months with you and Rose."

"And so am I," Emmett said reaching over the bar and giving Bella a hug and then shaking Chris's hand. "We haven't spent more then a month together at one time in years."

"Not since my newborn year," Bella remembered.

"That long ago," Emmett mused. Emmett finally seemed to come out of his thoughts enough to say, "Well talk later, but now you should go get Chris some dinner."

"We'll talk later," Bella promised as she headed towards the man who was still sitting at the bar to enact her plan Chris silently following.

Flashback

"We need to hunt," said Jasper as they simply lay holding each other on the bed. "Your eyes are very dark, darlin'."  
"I am thirsty," Bella admitted then added teasingly. "You've kept me so distracted that I didn't notice until you mentioned it. You are very good at distracting me you know."

"Is that all I am, a distraction?" asked Jasper trying to appear serious but with a glint of humor in his eyes.

"Oh, no," said Bella taking his comment way more seriously then Jasper had intended. "You are my life, my eternity, my reason for existing, without you I would not survive, it wouldn't even be worth existing without you. With you beside me you make anything bearable."

"I was only teasing you a little," Jasper admitted looking contrite, "but I should have known better then to tease you when you are thirsty as our kind don't think as clearly when we are hungry and we can also be a little cranky."

Bella kissed him, deeply, passionately, by way of apology, then reluctantly rose from the bed to get dressed.

"Let's go hunting shall we?"

They both got dressed and then headed out to the car.

"So where are we going?" asked Bella.

"It's called the Grand Casino and it's attached to the Allegro hotel," said Jasper. "I figured we could do a little gambling, and there's food so it's a shame that we can't eat as I heard it's good. There's also a separate room for people to smoke, dancing and it's dark enough that we don't have to worry about wearing contacts. We should be able to find plenty to eat there."

"But I'm only nineteen and don't you have to be at least twenty-one?" Bella pointed out.

"But your ID says you are twenty-one, which means you are old enough to gamble. In fact even without the ID you are old enough as you only need to be eighteen at least in Switzerland. It's different in other countries and states of course and range anywhere from eighteen to twenty-one." Her driver's licence was new and forged of course and instead of saying Bella McCarty it said Bella Whitlock and so did her new credit card, passport, visa and every other form of identification she had. Her new name had made her so happy that she had radiated it when she had seen it on all of her new identification. She of course still had the old ID and other papers tucked away in case she needed a sudden name change.

"At least I won't have to wear contacts as they are very annoying. Not only are they uncomfortable, I have to stop myself from constantly blinking and I can see every little imperfection in them things a human wouldn't notice, which makes them twice as annoying."

"Yes, they are annoying but necessary since we are drinking from humans and our eyes are red," said Jasper. "In fact it is a good idea to start carrying contacts with us wherever we go just in case it isn't cloudy enough so people can really see the color of our eyes and sunglasses aren't always appropriate, unfortunately."

"What about our sparkling skin?" asked Bella curiously.

"It's one of the reasons we mostly only go out at night," said Jasper. "Since we do drink human blood we can't afford to live in a town the size of Forks as the inhabitants would catch on to us pretty quick. They might not know we are vampires but if people started disappearing, even criminals it would be noticed pretty fast even if we always headed up to Seattle to feed.

"Not to mention the Quileutes would catch on pretty quick that there was vampires in the area and they would be after us as Carlisle had a treaty with them that said that if they ever harmed a human then they were fair game but as long as he and his family stuck to animal blood and stayed off their land then they would be left alone."

"But you bit me," said Bella who knew all about the treaty that Carlisle had with the Quileutes as she still remembered the conversation she and Jasper had had while she was still human. "Isn't that breaking the treaty?"

"Well technically I never signed the treaty as neither I or Alice were with the Cullens when it was made and besides they will never know. Even if they do somehow find out there was no way in hell I was going to let you die so they can just put that in their overtaxed brains and either accept it or I can annihilate them as they are no match for me."

"You don't like the Quileutes very much do you?" asked Bella at her mate's tone.

"I'm afraid not and really that is the way it is supposed to be. Werewolves are our natural enemies as they were created just to kill our kind. I could work with them if I had to but only if I absolutely had no other choice for not only do they smell like wet dog most young werewolves are very volatile and when they get angry they can transform and harm one us without meaning to."

"So why did you choose Bern to live, instead of say Geneva?"

"Well, one of the main reasons I chose for us to live just outside of Bern is there are more cloudy or rainy days then in the rest of Switzerland and it is also colder so that means we can cover up and not have it look the least unusual if we are wearing pants, long sleeve shirts, jackets with hoods, scarves and gloves. If anybody asks we can always say that we are sensitive to the cold although I doubt we will get to know people well enough for that to happen."

"So are you actually any good at gambling?" asked Bella curiously.

"Oh yes," said Jasper with a smirk. "All I have to do is use my talent to tell what the other players are feeling and ninety-nine percent of the time I can tell when somebody is bluffing about their hand or when the dealer is being dishonest or if the games are rigged so you lose most of the time. I love to gamble, am good at it and is how I came by a lot of my money. I've probably made at least five to ten million dollars over the years gambling in various cities of course. Now that I know you can be around humans without any trouble and just as soon as we get you fed we will be doing some gambling. Expect to do a lot of it while we live here."

Bella shook her head but had to admit that Jasper talent came in damn useful for a lot of things. "Isn't that well...dishonest?" asked Bella hesitantly.

"I suppose it is, although I never thought about it that way," said Jasper, "Look at it from my point of view, it gives us something to do so that we aren't bored and it is also a challenge because sometimes reading peoples emotions doesn't help as there is also some luck involved in winning. They are called games of chance for a reason you know and I always make sure I don't win to much so that I can come back if I want. Besides I can't really turn my talent off so no matter what I'm going to be sensing the other players emotions."

"I suppose I should get used to this sort of thing," said Bella shaking her head. "Charlie would be turning over in his grave if he knew that his nineteen year old daughter was not only gambling but cheating in order to win."

"Well technically it will be me that is cheating although I will be sure to inform you of when to bet and when not to. I'm very good at blackjack, poker and baccarat, most card games really, but you should try every game they have just to see which ones you like better."

"Well, I've always wanted to try playing roulette," said Bella looking somewhat shy at admitting that.

"So you shall although it is easier to rig that kind of thing then it is to cheat at cards," said Jasper.

"Unless like you, you can sense other people emotions and tell when they are lying," said Bella.

"It's not just in sensing people's emotions, but also in certain bodily functions that humans can't detect without the right equipment. When a lot of humans lie, their hearts speed up, they start to sweat and sometimes you can even tell by the eyes and the way they look anywhere but directly at you. If you are a habitual liar though that doesn't always work as people who lie a lot don't have as many bodily tells that a person who lies little does."

"Will you teach me, the signs of when someone is lying?" asked Bella.

"Of course darlin', I'll be happy to," said Jasper happily. "Just watch me and I'll give your hand a squeeze when I want you to pay attention. We're here," he added a second later as he found a place to park.

"Good, because I am very thirsty at this point," Bella admitted.

"We're going to have to start keeping better track of when you need to feed, so that you don't get so hungry that you attack an innocent person," said Jasper as he looked ashamed of himself for not taking better care of his wife and mate.

"I know but we just get so caught up in other activities," said Bella lowering her head embarrassed so she was looking at her feet rather then at Jasper.

"No need to be embarrassed, darlin'," said Jasper putting his hand on her chin and made her raise her eyes to meet his. "Having sex is a perfectly natural process and we are married."

"You mean we fuck each others brains out," said Bella smirking a little her embarrassment fading. Jasper was right there was no reason to be embarrassed as making love was a perfectly natural thing to do especially when you were as in love as the two of them.

"That to," Jasper agreed as they entered the Grand Casino.

"ID?" asked the man behind the counter as he looked at how young Bella especially looked. Bella turned it over and it took all her will power to restrain herself from attacking the man because she was so thirsty, but she did it and she was very proud of herself for it as she knew most young vampires would not have had her restraint. It was true she wasn't technically newborn anymore as her year was up in just a few days but she was still young to this life and from what she had been told even a vampire who was fifty years old had trouble a lot of the time restraining themselves especially if they were as thirsty as she was at the moment.

The man examined the ID closely and then let them pass.

"See I told you the ID would pass inspection," Jasper whispered low enough that only another vampire could have possibly have heard him and only if said vampire had been standing very close.

"Let's just find me some dinner as it took every ounce of will power I had not to attack that man," Bella whispered back. "I can't afford to be to picky tonight."

"That you didn't attack him when you were so close just tells me how much will power you really have. I mean look we are in the middle of a public building with hundreds of beating hearts and you haven't attacked any of them."

"I don't know how much longer I can resist though as my throat is searing worse then ever with the smell of so many humans so close. My demon is rattling the bars of her cage demanding I feed on every human in the vicinity so I had better feed and soon as the longer I go without feeding the more dangerous it is for the cattle...sorry I mean people," said Bella as she looked around at the hundreds of people milling about and smelled all their amazing scents which were driving her crazy as all she wanted do was grab the nearest person, feed, then grab the next human and the next.

"So let's find you some dinner," said Jasper looking around for a prospect as he could feel his mate's searing hunger as though it was his own. Luckily for them both Bella and Jasper saw a woman being harassed by a big burly man and it didn't take much at all to lure the man out. All Jasper had to do was shoot the guy some lust and let Bella walk by him seductively as if she didn't even know he was there.

The man followed Bella like a puppy dog and once they got outside Bella led him to an alley that was close to the casino with Jasper following.

"Hey pretty lady how about we go back to my place so we can get better acquainted?"

"I'm married and I'm sure my husband would object to you trying to pick me up," said Bella keeping him talking until they were deep in the alley and unlikely to be seen by a casual observer.

"A gorgeous lady like you taken? Why don't you dump him and let me show you the meaning of the word sex?"

"Ew that's just disgusting," said Bella tired of playing with her meal and so she struck and in a split second the man was against the wall not having time to even gurgle before Bella was sucking at his neck drawing his blood into her mouth. When the man was dead Bella looked up to find Jasper holding onto another man who looked no more than twenty-five or so.

"Who's this?" asked Bella as she heard the man's heartbeat, which was slow and steady indicating he was unconscious.

"He was going to try to stab you and then probably rob you but I caught him before he could, would you like him?"

"Hm a mugger," said Bella as she looked at the man her husband was holding with contempt and disgust. "Aren't you thirsty?" she asked her mate.

"Yes, but not as thirsty as you are as I am much older in this life which means I don't need to feed as often especially since I've gone back to human blood. Now if I was still on animal blood it would be a different story," said Jasper. "I'll find me a meal later."

"Thank you Jasper," said Bella reaching up and gently tucking a strand of hair behind her mate's ear. "You are such a gentleman, you always take such good care of me and look after me and my needs. I love you more and more everyday and I don't ever want to find out what I'd do if anything happened to you. If you are sure you don't want him I am still thirsty so I'll take him."

"I don't mind," Jasper assured her handing the man over and watching as Bella attached herself to the man's neck in a split second and drained him in less then three minutes.

"Hmm, that was delicious," said Bella licking her lips as soon as she was done. "He was a lot better then the first man, more pure, if that makes any sense."

"The first man was drunk and that would have changed the taste and smell of his blood," said Jasper. "If you were paying attention you should have been able to smell a difference. The mugger on the other hand was pure blood without alcohol or drugs in his system."

"Hmm," said Bella thoughtfully. "That's certainly interesting. I never knew that a vampire's nose was so acute that you could smell a difference in a person's blood."

"Oh yes you can tell a difference even if drugs or alcohol don't have any affect on us which is why I think what the Volturi are doing is such a good idea. Humans are going to consume drugs no matter what so all we are doing is making sure there is a regular supply and try to get people addicted to one type of drug or another. And just so you know, even though you probably don't remember, we discussed the changes you were going to go through once you became vampire."

"Did we?" asked Bella thoughtfully tapping her chin with a finger.

"We did as I wanted you to be aware of the changes you body was going to go through."

"I don't remember that," said Bella still looking thoughtful.

"I'm not surprised, you remember far more then most vampires, which I suspect has to do with the fact that you aren't an uncontrollable newborn and were very articulate and logical from the first moment you woke up. The only conclusion I can come to is, it is because you knew about vampires before you were changed and also accepted becoming one of our kind."

"Probably," Bella agreed. "But you know something, it doesn't really matter."

"True enough," Jasper agreed.

"You know, Charlie would definitely disapprove of what we are doing, trying to increase the drug trade, torturing people, even if they deserve it, feeding from humans, even criminals, gambling," said Bella. "Perhaps I would have felt differently if events hadn't happened like they had. Don't get me wrong I will always love my dad but you do what you have to do to survive, you know and maybe occasionally take an evil person out of the world and send them to hell where they belong. Besides it isn't like we can take them to the police as they would want to question us as to how we had caught them, how we knew they were criminals, why we were there in the first place and things like that."

"Yes you do have a right to live your life as you see fit and your father is no longer in the picture to object at what you do. It's not that I am not sorry for your loss but you have a to do what you want and as long as no one knows what we do why does it matter?" said Jasper giving Bella a little hug.

"You know I never paid attention and realized that the human race is seriously messed up, but what teenager does? All you have to do is read the newspaper or watch the news to see things like murder, kidnapping, people who rape or degrade another human being just because they are sick sons of bitches, people stealing and then selling it just so they can make money, fraud, and hundreds of others, both major or minor crimes."

"In a way it is a good thing as our kind will always have food and not have to worry about drawing attention to ourselves but in another way it is bad because as we were discussing not to long ago humans keep coming up with ways to destroy themselves, not to mention the things they are doing to mother earth. The planet that gave the human race life."

"You got that right," said Bella shaking her head. "We have pollution, toxic waste being dumped and improperly disposed of, global warming due largely to air pollution, fewer fossil fuels which are better for the environment then most of the fuels that are manmade instead of natural, pollution of the land and air due to the emissions and substances that factories put out, the hole in the ozone layer also largely due to pollution and many more."

"We can discuss this more later if you want, but right now why don't I introduce you to poker, blackjack, roulette and the slot machines."

"Sounds fun, cowboy," said Bella taking Jasper's offered arm and the two of them headed back inside.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Jasper led her over to the roulette table explaining how the game worked before they actually reached it. Bella placed her chips in front of her and the guy manning the wheel immediately asked what number the beautiful lady wanted to bet on and Bella told him.

It wasn't more then twenty minutes later that Bella had won almost 8,000 thousand dollars in poker chips which would when turned in would be turned into Swiss Francs.

"Well you seem to have a knack for this," the man said looking amazed.

Bella didn't say anything except to tell the man what number she wanted to bet on next and when the ball also landed on it the other people at the table watched amazed for Bella hadn't been wrong except twice.

"Ready to try something else, darlin'?" asked Jasper almost exactly an hour later.

"Sure," said Bella taking her poker chips that were spread all over a serving tray in a jumble of colorful plastic. She had almost twenty thousand dollars and she tossed the man manning the wheel five one hundred dollar chips.

"Thanks," said the man genuinely surprised and pleased by the generosity.

"That was nice of you," said Jasper as they headed towards the blackjack table.

"It seemed like the right thing to do and it isn't as if either one of us is hurting for money. Winning all this is just an added bonus," said Bella holding up the tray with all of her poker chips on it.

"So let me tell you how to play blackjack," said Jasper as he began to quietly explain how to play.

"Sounds complicated," said Bella.

"It can be," Jasper agreed.

"Well why don't you go and play blackjack and I'll go use the slot machines?" Bella suggested. "I'll meet you at the blackjack table in say an hour?"

"All right if that is what you want," said Jasper feeling slightly uneasy even though he knew that they wouldn't be very far apart and he could be there in seconds if he had to. "But if you need me all you have to do is call me and I'll be there in a flash."

"You go ahead," said Bella and Jasper finally nodded seeming reluctant to leave her side even though they both knew they couldn't be together every second of every day.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Fifteen minutes later Bella put several coin into the slot machine and pushed the button. These machines were nothing like you saw in the movies or television shows as those had handles you could pull. She supposed that this was just the more modern version of those same machines.

The five images spun around and when they stopped she had what she knew was a flush which meant she had a two, four, six, nine, ten. It wasn't the worst she could do and she still made a little money just not much. Intellectually she knew that the actual odds of getting a lot of money out of these machines must be at least five hundred to one.

Bella kept playing keeping careful track of the time as she didn't want to be separated from Jasper for more then an hour. She had needed a little space to herself however and she was sure that Jasper knew that. She loved Jasper so much but occasionally they did need to have some time alone to just be and think or do whatever they wanted without the other hanging over their shoulders. Having time to oneself would keep the relationship healthy and not make her feel as if she was being smothered.

Finally fifty minutes later she got up with her bucket of coins and headed towards the blackjack table.

"Hey gorgeous, I've been watching you," said a male voice. "You have quite a knack with the slot machines and the roulette table. Perhaps you can show me your secret?" asked a very handsome man with reddish brown hair and blue eyes. The hair, especially the color reminded her of Edward and she wanted to get away from this man as soon as possible. It wasn't that this man had the same hair color as her former and only boyfriend it was that he practically oozed sliminess and also very drunk as not only could she smell it on his breath but in the blood running through his veins. The man was dressed in a nice button down shirt and slacks and was better groomed then 85 percent of the other humans in the casino.

"I'm sorry, but I'm meeting my husband, now if you will kindly get out of my way before he starts to worry about me and comes looking."

"So what if he does? We'll be miles away by then," the man said putting a hand on Bella's arm and tightening his grip. If she had been an ordinary human the man's grip would have probably held her not to mention left a bruise. What the man didn't know though was that he was not holding an ordinary human girl but a vampire that was at least a hundred times stronger then him, if not more.

"You will kindly release me if you know what is good for you," Bella told the man quietly but so intensely that the man stared at her in surprise for he could tell that Bella was not afraid of him unlike most people. The man looked directly into Bella's eyes and even though the casino had very subdued lighting there was enough light to see the dangerous glint in them. It was the look of a predator the man instinctually knew and he also knew that he had chosen the wrong person to try to harass. Just because the woman didn't look like she could defend herself and because she was young he had figured he could get her to go with him but he now knew that he had been wrong and that he had just caught a dangerous animal by the tail.

Bella was grateful that the casino lighting was dim enough that her red eyes would look brown or maybe hazel as she hated wearing contacts and the man was looking her directly in the eyes now and started to look frightened. "You have no idea what you have unleashed by putting a hand on me," Bella said quietly. The man who had ahold of her arm had no idea the kind of danger he was really in as even though she was full Jasper hadn't had his dinner yet and she was sure that he would want to track the man down and drain him dry for laying a hand on her. It was just part of their relationship and their bond as both were protective of each other. Jasper had been raised in the mid-1840's and back then it was the man's job to protect his woman and some things were just ingrained. For instance he always opened doors, for her and helped her in and out of the car even though she didn't need it and she let him because she liked that about him and because if he hadn't stopped doing it after over a hundred and fifty years she doubted she could break him of the habit at his point. She was protective of him to of course even though she knew perfectly well that he could take care of himself as all the scars on his body should prove. "My husband is a former soldier and an excellent tracker. Trust me he will find you and then you will wish you had never been born. The last time a man mistreated me he ended up in the hospital with a lot of broken bones." What Bella said was not precisely true, but it was as close as she could come in describing what had happened to Edward without saying that she and Jasper had tortured him to death or that he was a vampire.

"Ah you're just making that up," said the man cockily but Bella could tell that he didn't really believe it.

Bella sighed inaudibly and calmly jerked her arm out of the man's grasp and then lifted the bucket of coins and slammed it into his nose hard enough to break it for she heard a distinct crack.

"My nose," the man wailed starting to draw attention. "My nose, you broke my nose."

"You got what you deserved and this should be a lesson to you that just because someone looks defenceless doesn't mean they are and you are damn lucky it was me and not my husband as if he had been here you would now be on your way to the hospital and probably on life support," Bella told him and stalked away towards the blackjack table as she could feel Jasper start to get anxious and worried through their connection as the hour passed and she had still not appeared.

When she did appear beside him Jasper's relief was almost visible and he took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "Sorry, I'm late, cowboy," Bella told him kissing his cheek.

"Just so long as you are here," Jasper said so quietly that only Bella could have heard him. "You will have to tell me what delayed you later."

"Sure," said Bella sitting beside her husband and watched interestedly as he played blackjack and won more often then not.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

They spent another couple of hours at the casino before walking over to where they turned in their chips and got cash instead. Between them they had made quite haul, around 100,000 in swiss francs which translated into 108,74 American dollars and 75 cents.

"Well we did quite well tonight," said Jasper pleased as he put half the cash into his wallet and handed the other half to his wife.

"We can't expect to do that well every night," said Bella.

"Well, no," said Jasper, "but we did well tonight at least which is good as that means that your first experience of gambling was a good one and that you will want to come back next time I go."

Bella shook her head and realized when it came to certain things her husband was like a big kid. Like most men or boys she knew he loved his toys and beating the odds whether it was just a video game or something like gambling. It seemed to appeal to their competitive spirits.

"What has you so amused?" asked Jasper with a raised eyebrow as he could just feel the humor rolling off her.

"Never mind," said Bella refusing to say as they walked to their car.

"Now are you going to tell me what delayed you earlier?" asked Jasper with a raised eyebrow, as he immediately smelled another's man's scent all over his mate now that they were away from all those humans.

"Who touched you?" growled Jasper immediately in major mode as he smelled her arm where the scent was the heaviest.

"I'm not actually sure who he was other then he seemed very slimy and he had a hair color similar to Edward's. He wanted me to tell him how I won so much money out of the slot machines and at the roulette table, for some reason he was watching me and I told him he had better release me or he would regret it. When he didn't I banged my bucket of coins into his nose hard enough to break it and leave a dent in the bucket and he's damn lucky I remembered to not use my full strength and pulled my blow at the last second or he'd probably be on his way to the hospital with his face smashed in."

"So that is where the dent came from," said The Major calming a little. "Still he will pay for laying a hand on you."

"Jasper you can't kill every man that lays a hand on me," said Bella soothingly. "Besides he was very drunk as not only could I smell it on his breath but in the scent of his blood and also I took care of the situation by breaking his nose."

"It's not enough," Jasper growled The Major again looking out of his eyes. "You told him to release you and he didn't listen."

"He was very drunk and he didn't actually cause me any harm," Bella reminded The Major gently. Jasper continued to growl and Bella did her best to calm him down. "Emmett, Peter, Rose and Char are always touching and hugging me."

"That's different, they are family and would not harm you and are in fact quite protective of you," said The Major still growling. "And that goes for Demetri, Jane and Heidi to, as I've been around them enough to know that they would not harm you and think of you much like the others do," he added still growling.

"Jasper, can you just drop this for me?" asked Bella rubbing a finger tenderly over his cheek before kissing it and taking his hand to give it a loving squeeze. "I can take care of myself you know and I did break his nose. That is enough of a punishment. I doubt he will come near me again as I did warn him that you would track him down and put him in the hospital."

"I'd do more than that," The Major growled seeming to soften a little.

"Of course you would and I wouldn't expect anything else, but it isn't as if I could say that you'll drain him dry, burn his corpse and then dance on his grave as not only would that bring the police to our door if something did happen to him and he turned up missing but it is trouble we don't need. I also warned him that the last guy who didn't treat me with respect ended up in the hospital."

It took Jasper a moment to digest that and then he chuckled dryly turning back into her husband and the love of her life. "That's a quaint way to say that we tortured Edward until he was so messed up that his bones were crushed, he was scarred almost beyond recognition, most of his limbs were missing, and that we killed him after we were done playing with him, darlin'."

"Well it isn't like I could tell him that," Bella told him with a smirk. "Again if I had said that it would have brought the police to our door."

"Fine I won't do anything to him, unless he keeps bothering you or unless I find out of he is some kind of criminal," Jasper said.

"Thanks, but we should probably go find you some dinner so you aren't so cranky."

"I am not cranky." Jasper protested.

"Yes you are for if you weren't you would have been much more reasonable about that man and you know it. Wasn't it you that told me that we were all a little unreasonable and cranky if we were hungry?"

"Yes, I did and you are right," Jasper admitted as he put the car into drive. "You take such good care of me and look after my wellbeing."

"I'm just returning the favor since you always take such good care of me and make sure I feed when I need to."

Jasper started the car and started driving looking for a bad section of a good prospect for dinner.

"You know, you are the only one I know who can bring me out of major mode without losing an arm at the least," said Jasper after a while. "Even Peter talks to me from a distance when I am like that and he is the only other one I know that can bring me out of that mode but it takes him much longer to talk me down. All you have to do is touch me and that usually brings me back to being just Jasper."

"Unless you are cranky from having not fed," said Bella with a wink.

"Yes, unless I have not fed," said Jasper with a smirk refusing to call himself cranky even though he knew Bella was right.

"You know I am right even if you don't want to admit it," Bella smirked as if reading Jasper's thought.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Look at what finally came," said Jasper pleased as he and Bella both heard the sounds of an engine roaring up the there driveway.

It was several weeks since they had moved to Switzerland and they had already gotten settled in, set up the computer equipment that the Volturi had given them, although that had been mostly Jasper as after all his years of existence knew far more about computers then she did.

"The motorcycles are here?" asked Bella eagerly as she heard the sound of a very loud engine.

"Yes, finally," said Jasper.

"It's about damn time," said Bella. "I was beginning to wonder if they had gotten lost."

"Me to," said Jasper as he watched as his mate dawned a pair of sunglasses so she could go meet the carrier truck. Luckily for them their driveway was lined with trees and so was shaded from the sun and it helped that it was also a rainy day so that the sunlight wasn't bright enough to make them sparkle.

When the truck finally pulled up in front of the house both Bella and Jasper were waiting and Bella was practically dancing in place she was so excited and eager.

"Can we go for a ride as soon as the delivery man unloads them?" asked Bella excitedly.

"Sure," said Jasper watching in amusement as his wife practically danced in place she was so excited. He supposed he couldn't really blame her as she had only gotten one bike ride on it after he had bought it and she like him had become instantly addicted to feeling the wind in he hair, the cool air on her face and the thrill of speed.

"I have a delivery here for Whitlock?" asked the big burly man that exited the carrier truck's cab.

"That's us," said Bella.

"Sign here," said the man producing some documentation.

Jasper did that and Bella impatiently waited as her husband had to sign the delivery papers at human speed since the delivery man was watching.

The man looked at the woman and immediately thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had hair the color of chocolate with natural red highlights and a face and body that would make most women green with envy. Of course he couldn't see the shape or color of her eyes because they were covered by the sunglasses but they were probably brown to match her hair. The man was also classically handsome with long blond hair and the face of a greek god and the body of an athlete.

"You're house sure is located out in the middle of nowhere, I had trouble finding it."

"Sorry," said Bella with a shrug not really feeling sorry at all but was just being polite. "We like our privacy."

Jasper finished signing the paperwork a few minutes later and the man turned and carefully unloaded the two crates that contained their motorcycles. Jasper took the crowbar the man handed him and pried the sides off both crates.

"That's a mighty pretty necklace you are wearing," said the man as he noticed the puffed heart wit the sapphire in the center hanging down between Bella's breast

"Thanks, it was an anniversary gift from my husband," said Bella stroking the heart.

"Do you have any idea where I can get one like it for my wife?" asked the man.

"Any jewelry shop should have something similar. That one was bought in Alaska while we were there," said Jasper. "I got mine at Ben Bridge jewelers in Anchorage."

"Thanks, I'll look into that as my wife's and I anniversary is coming up in just a couple of weeks," said the delivery man.

Bella carefully rolled her navy blue and silver motorcycle out of the now open crate and said, "We've both been waiting eagerly for these. We thought they would never arrive."

"You're welcome and thanks for the advice," said the man as he climbed into the cab of his truck starting the engine as soon as Jasper had handed him a large tip in swiss francs for his helpfulness. Soon he was out of sight and once he was gone and they could no longer hear the sound of an engine Bella said, "Well shall we go for a ride?"

"Yes, they should already be gassed up and ready to go," said Jasper as he sped into the house and came out with two motorcycle helmets and two leather jackets. "Shall we get going?"

"Yes," Bella hissed excitedly as she donned the leather jacket and the helmet before getting on her motorcycle. She flipped down the visor of the helmet in order to hide her red eyes and then started the engine staring slowly down the drive Jasper following.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"So what do you think about learning to play guitar?" asked Jasper as he took his prized guitar out of the corner where he kept it. It was several weeks after their motorcycles had finally been delivered.

He had several guitars including a classical nylon six stringed, a tailed bridge six stringed, a Portuguese twelve stringed, and a six stringed electric one. His favorite though appeared to be a seven string electric guitar and always had pride of place over in one corner of the living room so that it was out of the way and wouldn't get damaged by accident. The guitars had arrived several weeks ago and Jasper had been more then happy too play and sing for his wife whom had said she thought that he had an absolutely gorgeous voice. He could play every single one of his guitars like a professional musician.

When she had asked how he had not only learned to play a four stringed guitar, but a six, seven, eight and even twelve stringed Jasper had shrugged and said he had had plenty of time considering up until now he had never had someone that he spent The Majority of his time with. It was several days after the bikes had arrived and since it was sunny out the two of them were stuck inside.

"What about the Cullens?"

"Sure I spent time with them, Emmett and Rosalie especially but that still left me plenty of time to do whatever I wanted as they would disappear into their room or outside in order to get some time alone. I would go to my study which was soundproofed and either read or teach myself to play. No one usually bothered me in there and Fuckwad never once set foot in my study in all the years I lived with the Cullens. I would have known if he had as I would have smelled it if he had been in there."

Bella had absorbed this information silently and then had asked him to play something romantic and he had been happy to oblige.

"Sure why not," Bella finally decided and Jasper was pleased that he hadn't had to encourage her or boost her self confidence.

"Here this four stringed one will be the easiest to learn on," said Jasper speeding to their room and bringing back a acoustic, bass, nylon four stringed guitar.

"Why don't you play something for me first?" Bella suggested.

"Sure," said Jasper pleased at the request as he loved to play even more now then he had used to as he now had someone to play for and not just for himself.

I wanna be your lover baby, I wanna be your man

I wanna be your lover baby, I wanna be your man

Tell me that you love me baby, like no other can

Love you like no other baby, like no other can

I wanna be your man, I wanna be your man

Tell me that you love me baby, tell me you understand

Tell me that you love me baby, I wanna be your man

I wanna be your lover baby, I wanna be your man

I wanna be your lover baby, I wanna be your man

I wanna be your man, I wanna be your man

I wanna be your lover baby, I wanna be your man

I wanna be your lover baby, I wanna be your man

Tell me that you love me baby, like no other can

Love you like no other baby, like no other can

I wanna be your man, I wanna be your man

"That was lovely," said Bella as the last note died away. She had watched how Jasper totally became lost in the music as he was singing and playing and thought it was one of the sexiest things she had ever seen as he looked so relaxed, much more relaxed in fact then in every day life. It wasn't that he wasn't relaxed when he wasn't playing but his whole body just seemed to turn boneless and he almost looked like he could fall asleep except that his hands were moving. Jasper didn't even need to keep his eyes open as he played and sometimes he would close them and play songs from memory.

"That was by the Beatles from an album called ironically enough With the Beatles, which came out in 1963," said Jasper.

"So do you wanna be my man?" asked Bella teasingly.

"Always," Jasper told her solemnly. "And I'll tell you right now that I love you just like the words of the song say."

"Good because I wouldn't have it any other way and I love you to," said Bella leaning over and kissing him.

"So now let me teach you how to play," said Jasper as he handed Bella the four string guitar that he had retrieved from where they were kept.

"Now the strings are usually tune G, an octave below the lowest four strings of the six string guitar, which is the same tuning pitch as an electric bass guitar," Jasper began his lesson showing Bella how to tune the guitar and then teaching her some simple songs.

By the time the sun went down Bella was doing quite well and could already play some simple songs.

"See, a few more lessons and you'll playing like a professional," Jasper told Bella pleased at her progress.

"Well it helps that I have such a great teacher," said Bella giving Jasper a kiss in thanks. "Not to mention my now perfect memory, the fact that I am no longer clumsy and it helps that we don't need to sleep so I can practice for days without stopping if I really wanted to."

"Well let's quit for a while as I have plans for us."

"Such as?" asked Bella with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I thought we could go and get ourselves some dinner, then go catch some of the nightlife, dance a little and whatever else we can find to and be back before sunrise."

"Sounds good, cowboy," said Bella.

End Flashback

"Ready to go get some dinner, cowboy?" asked Bella as she came back into the private room that was kept specifically for their kind.

"More than ready," Jasper agreed rising form his chair. "You were sure gone a long time."

"Emmett, Chris and I got to talking," Bella said simply. "I'll tell you what Emmett said after we eat."

"Where are Chris and Sofia?" asked Jasper.

"Chris started hunting for another prospect and I saw Sofia dancing with some boy about her age."

"A human boy actually approached her and asked her to dance?" asked Jasper shocked although he knew he shouldn't be for thanks to Sofia's talent for disguise most humans didn't sense the predator in them. Of course disguising their eyes and giving their skin a warm humanlike flush didn't change the fact that there skin was still cold to the touch but on the other hand the coldness of their skin could be explained away as due to poor circulation or just having naturally chilled flesh.

"Yes, a human boy actually asked her to dance and after all Sofia is a gorgeous young woman. I'm actually more surprised that she agreed to dance with him not that the boy asked her in the first place."

"Yes, you're right," Jasper agreed. Normally when they went to a club for food or fun Sofia didn't usually agree to dance with a boy when asked. "But now my mate let us find ourselves some dinner."

"Yes, let's," Bella agreed taking Jasper's hand in hers.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"So Emmett has noticed the guy that Chris just fed on bothering other woman over the last year or so," said Jasper as he Bella and the twins sat at their table all having just returned from having fed.

"Yes," Bella agreed. "He also said that he was considering making this guy his next meal even though he tries not to feed on his home ground so to speak."

Jasper absorbed that for a minute then looked kind of sad.

"Why do you suddenly look so sad?" asked Sofia looking concerned. Jasper didn't usually get sad and was always cheerful something that had come about only after he had met Bella and discovered that they were mates she had been told.

"I miss the old Emmett is all," Jasper said with a sigh putting his elbows on the table and his chin on top of his cupped hands looking thoughtful and still a little sad. "You never knew him before the Cullens were murdered since you weren't even alive then but he was much different, more easygoing then he is now. He never would have paid attention to someone harassing another person or been such a good person to run a place like this. It wasn't that he didn't care just that he was one of those people that went through life day in and day out without paying attention to what was going on around him. Back before Edward's betrayal when everything might not have been perfect, but life never is, he used to like to play video games, roughhouse and arm wrestle with me but he was never really one for deep contemplation. It wasn't that he wasn't smart but just that he never showed it and almost everybody, except Rose and me thought just because he was so big and muscular that he was a jock and you know the reputation most jocks have. Now ever since the fire that killed the Cullens, even though it was over a century ago, he still likes to do those things but he is more serious and observant then he was back then. Vampires can change, it's true but for most of our kind change is hard and slow in coming but a major shock like the deaths of three people that he loved and the betrayal of a fourth was enough to do it."

"He's still the old Emmett in a lot of ways," said Bella. "He still loves to pull pranks for example and he is still loyal to a fault and fiercely protective of the people he loves but Jasper's right when he said he isn't quite the same Emmett we used to know as for one thing he is more thoughtful and considerate then he used to be. Most of the time he even thinks before he speaks and before the Cullens murders that was not the case a lot of the time. I believe he realised that Rosalie could have decided not to go hunting with them and also have been killed. If that had happened we would not even be having this conversation as Emmett would be dead since there's only one person that I know of that has survived the loss of a mate and he goes through life letting it pass him by but hardly ever interacting with it."

"I'm not saying that change is bad and in fact in this case it is a good thing, I just wish that it hadn't been the deaths of Alice, Esme and Carlisle and the betrayal of Edward that facilitated it."

After a few minutes of thoughtful Jasper started to tell stories and his and Emmett's shenanigans and how Esme would always get when they would roughhouse in the house and break the expensive furniture.

"I remember there was this one time where Esme found a genuine Ming Dynasty vase at a flea market. The seller had no idea how valuable it really was but Esme who knew her antiques recognized it and bought it for a pittance. She was so excited when she brought it home and within less than a month it was broken as Emmett and I accidentally knocked it over when we were wrestling. It was one of the few times I have ever seen Esme beyond furious. It's not that she didn't ever get upset at us but most of the time her anger blew over quickly but not so on that occasion. When she discovered we had broken a Ming Vase, a vase she had brought home only three weeks ago she was so furious that if she had been human she probably would have had a heart attack." Jasper shuddered reflectively as he remembered. "I had never seen, kind, gentle, understanding Esme in all the years I had been living with the Cullens so furious and in fact she was so angry that she did something she had never done before."

"What?" asked the twins and Bella at the same time. Bella had never heard this story before.

"Well she actually called Carlisle at the hospital and told him what we had done and when he got home from work he called us into his office and quite literally raked us over the coals. Normally Carlisle didn't get involved in the punishments for our escapades as he usually left it up to Esme but this time he actually meted out our punishments with advice from Esme and even Edward put in his two cents though his opinion had not been asked for." Jasper almost spit the name of someone he had hated with ever atom of his body especially after he had hurt Bella just because she had broken up with him. He still remembered how her cheek had been all black and blue and how Bella winced in pain every time she opened her month to speak. He also remembered how she had been almost dead when he had found her several feet from the house with most of her bones broken after she had jumped out that fourth story window in order to escape the fire that 'he' had set several weeks later.

"So what was the punishment?" asked Sofia intrigued pulling Jasper from his morbid thoughts.

"Emmett and I had to paint the whole house from top bottom, every room and the outside as well."

"That doesn't sound to bad," said Chris.

"No it doesn't until Carlisle informed us that we were not allowed to use any of our vampire abilities and that it had to be done at human speed. Also we still had to go to school and do our homework which also had to be done at a human pace. We were also told that there would be no playing any games, unless it was family game night, watching TV, reading any books, except our school books or any going out of the house at all except to go to school or to hunt and we were only allowed to hunt in the woods that surrounded the Cullen property."

"What was so bad about only being able to hunt in the forest surrounding the Cullen property?" asked Sofia confused.

"All the animals in the woods around the Cullen house were tame, there were no lions or cougars, or bears, just deer, rabbits, chipmunks, that type of animal. Animals that were carnivores tasted much better then herbivores and there was more of a challenge in cornering a lion or a bear then a deer. Emmett was upset when found out he wasn't allowed to hunt his favorite meal which were bears for an indeterminate length of time but also knew that he was at least partially responsible for breaking such a valuable piece of art. So basically all we could do was study and while that didn't bother me to much Emmett was never one for reading except car magazines as he hates studying. The problem was you could only do so much studying no matter how studious you were before you were sick of it and unlike Emmett I enjoy reading for pleasure. Also our kind doesn't sleep so there was no chance of wiling away a few hours by doing that."

"So how long did this punishment last?" asked Bella holding in her laughter as she imagined the incident, though she was sure Jasper could feel her amusement.

"Three months, both Emmett and I about went insane with boredom by the time Esme finally decided to forgive us."

"I bet after that you did your best not to piss Esme off," Chris suggested with laughter in his eyes his lips twitching in suppressed amusement."

"You would be right about that," said Jasper suppressing a shiver as he remembered that he and Emmett had walked on eggshells around Esme for several months after that.

"What made it three times worse at least for me is that Edward used every opportunity he could to berate me an tell me that I was no better then a monster and that I didn't deserve to live with decent people. He berated Emmett to although not as much as me as he didn't actually hate him. Fuckwad made sure I felt how much he was disgusted by me and my behavior by sending me his emotions. I guarantee that if it hadn't been for Alice, Emmett and Rosalie I probably would have left the Cullens and never looked back but I'm glad I stayed as I might not have met Bella otherwise," Jasper said giving his mate's hand a loving squeeze.

"Or us either," Chris suggested. "It's all a chain of events one leading to the next and so on. You met Bella, found out you were mates, Edward turned traitor and killed off half his own family in an act of revenge, you saved Bella from death by changing her into a vampire... You see it is all a chain of events that led you to meeting us and if things hadn't happened as they had both of us would be dead."

"True enough," Jasper agreed looking pensive. "Sometimes I still miss the way that Emmett used to speak before his brain engaged as the results were usually a little funny although not always."

"And the way Rose used to slap the back of his head whenever he did say something stupid," Bella suggested with a snicker.

"She still does that on occasion although not as often as she used to," Jasper agreed also with a laugh his melancholy mood disappearing. "So, is everybody ready to head home or do you want to stay a little longer?" he added after a few minutes of silence.

"We're ready to go," said Sofia after looking at her brother. "We've had our dinner."

"What about that boy you were dancing with?" Bella teased Sofia gently.

Sofia shrugged. "It was just one dance, not a marriage proposal. I told him that my family was expecting me back at our table and that he didn't want them to come looking. I also said that we were here to see our family that owned the club and that my Uncle Emmett was very overprotective of his niece and so was my brother. That made him back off and not pester me for another dance."

Everybody chuckled at Sofia's story. "And you didn't even lie as everything you said was the truth," said Bella.

Sofia smirked and said, "I had to tell several guys something similar while I was in college to get them to back off and quit pestering me and I didn't actually lie then either."

"No, just omitted or exaggerated certain facts," Jasper suggested with a gleam of pride in his eyes.

"Well it got most of those boys to leave me alone," said Sofia with a shrug.

"Except for the ones you slugged," said Jasper amusement and pride clear in bluish gray eyes. Sofia had of course disguised not only herself and her brother but Jasper and Bella as well, so for the night Jasper's eyes were bluish gray just like when he had been human while Bella's were brown and the twins were hazel.

"They wouldn't take no for an answer," said Sofia with a smirk not at all ashamed that she had, had to hit those boys where it hurt in order to get them to back off. If there was one thing she wasn't it was a pushover and that had been true even before her parents deaths. Her parents death had changed her true but she had never let anybody push her around before their deaths and she wasn't about to start afterwards.

"Well, let's head home, shall we," said Bella clapping both twins on the back and letting them walk in front of her and Jasper out the door of the private room they had been using and out onto the noisy floor.

"Let me go tell Emmett we're leaving and that we'll meet them later," said Jasper. "I'll meet you at the car."

Bella and the twins nodded and began to thread their way through the crowd and towards the exit.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"So did you have fun at the club last night," Rose asked Sofia softly. It was ten o'clock in the morning the very next day after the club had closed for the night and since it was supposed to be cloudy and a little rainy all day Rose, and Sofia had decided that they were going to go shopping and bond a little more. It was true that Rose had met Sofia on a few occasions and they had also bonded some through shopping and other activities but since Rose and Emmett didn't live with Jasper and Bella they hadn't had a chance to really get to know each other.

"Oh yes I did," said Sofia. "I even danced with this handsome boy a couple of times."

"A human boy actually approached you?" asked Rose who knew all about Sofia's and Chris's talents but hadn't realized that it made humans approach them without sensing the predator in them.

"Yes, he actually approached me. Jasper's theory is that because I can make myself and other's look human that our prey can't sense that we are dangerous. Also while I can cause cosmetic changes in someone's appearance it doesn't do anything for the way we walk or the coldness of our skin."

"Cold skin can be explained away," said Rose.

"True enough," Sofia admitted. "In any case I did have fun last night and wanted you and Emmett to know I really like your club a lot."

Rose preened a little at the compliment and said, "Thanks, all compliments are appreciated and it has so far worked out well. So what do you do for fun at home?"

"Well as you know we've been living in Philadelphia and once Chris and I were able to get out on our own and be around humans without killing them we went exploring. I believe that we know every thoroughfare, back street and square in the city which might be useful one day if we ever have to leave town in a hurry for whatever reason. Also we've been sightseeing and have seen all the sites. When we're not doing that we learn languages and the like which both Jasper and Bella have been a big help on by making sure we get the accent and pronunciation of the words right. How he learned all that I have no idea as he seems to know more then any twenty or thirty other people put together. He knows eighteen languages some of which aren't even based in Latin like English which is the the language he grew up speaking. How he knows what he does and keeps it all straight I have no idea as I would think even with our photographic memories it would be difficult."

"Jasper did a lot of studying while he was living with the Cullens," Rose said simply. "I believe he felt he didn't really fit in with the rest of the family and that includes with Alice. In my opinion I never believed that Alice or even Carlisle treated him right. They didn't make him feel bad about himself like Edward did but they never really went out of their way to know him either. Alice in particular, although she was married to him, never fully accepted his past or his scars. There was even a time or two that I saw Alice wince whenever she saw his hundreds of scars. It didn't happen often as he was always wearing long sleeves in order to cover up most of them. I believe he covered them up just to make his life a little easier and so he wouldn't have to feel everyone's disgust every time they looked at him. It took a long time for Emmett and I to get to know him as he had closed himself off."

"He isn't that way now," said Sofia in a voice that sounded more like question then a statement of fact.

"No, he's changed a lot and for the better. I won't deny that Alice's death as well as Carlisle's and Esme's was hard on him and if he hadn't already met Bella it would have been even harder to lose half the people you had called family for the last seventy or so years but meeting her helped the loss not be quite as bad as it would have been. Now it's like..." Rosalie seemed to be searching for a way to describe the change in her brother after he had met Bella but was having difficulty coming up with the words.

"Like he is now comfortable in his own skin for the first time," Sofia suggested.

"That's it exactly," Rose agreed looking surprised that Sofia had managed to put something into words that she was struggling with. "Back when we were all living with the Cullens even though Emmett and I tried to include him as much as we could in our activities he still seemed like someone who was on the outside of a group looking in instead of being part of it."

"And now it's like he was always part of the group instead of outside it," said Sofia who had seen how Jasper interacted with Rose, Emmett, Bella and her and Chris for the last five years.

"Yes, exactly, he's more relaxed for one thing then he ever was with the Cullens. It's like he isn't on guard all the time and he can just be himself. Part of the problem you know is he could feel people's emotions and although Edward was the only one feeding him a constant stream of negativity the others never quite trusted him, except perhaps for Esme. He knows we trust him not only in his head since he can also feel that we do and because of that he has more confidence in himself."

"You know it seems logical since Jasper is an empath and because he can feel emotions of other people then he knows if someone doesn't trust him, or hates him etc, etc. Having to live with that constant negativity is bound to erode whatever self-confidence you do have until you doubt yourself and your abilities."

"I never thought of it like that but you're right," Rose admitted. "All the negative emotions directed at him would have eventually eroded his confidence in himself."

The two woman continued to chat and people didn't avoid them like they usually did as Sofia had used her power of disguise to make them look human.

Several hours later Sofia and Rose headed out to the car loaded down with bags so they could finally head home and so Rose get head to the club in order to open for the night.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Did you buy out half the store sis," Chris teased Sofia as soon as she came in the door loaded down with bags.

"I'll have you know I restrained myself, thank you very much," Sofia told her brother sarcastically. "Besides this isn't just from one store it's from the dozen or so shops that Rose and I went to."

Bella and Jasper watched in amusement as the twins playfully argued. "Sofia, doesn't have that many bags Chris," Bella cut in her amusement clear in her voice. "I guarantee if it had been Alice and she had just come home from an all day of shopping spree that she would have at least triple the amount of bags that your sister has if not more."

Chris looked at the fifteen or so bags his sister was carrying and then tried to imagine triple that number or more and had a hard time doing it.

"I used to hate to go shopping with Alice because she would want to rush through every shop instead of taking her time and enjoy the experience and she was always forcing me to try on things I never would have dreamed of wearing back then. Also remember I was human back then and needed to eat and Alice often forgot that fact when she was on one of her shopping sprees. Alice would always go by what her visions told her even though she knew they were subjective and not set in stone. I remember on more than one occasion where she would buy me things I didn't want and then force me to accept them always saying she had 'seen' me in them. Alice had to wear the latest fashion while I had always gone primarily by comfort and didn't need brand names or to spend two or three hundred dollars on one outfit. I still don't like to spend that much money at one time even now that I have more of it then I did back when I was growing up. As for Alice, she had to wear the latest fashion and she also bought the clothes for the rest of the family except perhaps for Rose who also had excellent fashion sense."

"It's true enough," said Jasper speaking for the first time since Sofia had walked in the door. "I remember asking Alice once why she had bought so much when she could always go back and she told me it wasn't really a shopping trip unless you came home with at least forty bags. She had the biggest closet out of everyone in the family and what annoyed me at the time was that she would go and spend all that money on clothes and then wear then once, maybe twice before they were donated. Alice also wasn't one for going anywhere no matter the country if there wasn't a major shopping center nearby and she hated to get her clothes dirty. I've always been a simple man with simple tastes and see no need to have a hundred expensive outfits or more and also see no reason to waste my money on designer clothes when they would just get dirty or torn."

"I like to shop as much as the next person but I will never pay two or three hundred dollars for one outfit," said Sofia firmly. "This is the most I have ever bought at one time," she added holding up her bags. "Now if you don't mind I'm going to go put this stuff away."

"Alice sounds like she was a few bricks short of a full load," Chris suggested as Sofia disappeared upstairs to her room.

"Not really," Jasper disagreed, "She was just a ball of energy and very enthusiastic no matter the project she was involved in. She could be very pushy as well and I always thought that she should only use her visions to look out for trouble for the family and as I've said before not for every piddling little thing but she was as sane as you or I. I also think she was like she is because of her experiences in the insane asylum where she was also bitten."

"It was hard to say no to her is all as Alice had one of those overpowering personality's," Bella added. "You would have liked her if you had actually had a chance to meet her but it's kind of hard to describe Alice as she was just one of those people you had to actually meet in order to understand someone's description of her.

"And now that Bella and I drink human blood it is much more likely that we will have to leave an area in a hurry then if we were still feeding on animal blood."

"And if we do need to leave an area at a moment's notice we might not have time to pack anything but a few essentials. Nothing more then will fit into a backpack or possibly a car and that's only if you aren't on foot."

"Have you ever had to go underground for a time? Cut off all contact with people?" asked Sofia coming back from putting her purchases away.

"Once or twice," Bella admitted, "Except we do have a way to contact Uncle Peter when that happens and he knows to inform, Emmett and Rosalie and Charlotte so they won't worry."

"How long did you have to stay off somebody's radar?" asked Chris.

"Just a few months."

"And why inform Peter in the first place?" asked Sofia.

"Because Jasper is his brother, perhaps not by blood but in every other way that matters and although he doesn't show it often Peter loves him," Bella said simply. "To have someone who genuinely loves you in this life is a great gift as most of our kind do not have true friends, only acquaintances or vampires who have formed a coven for mutual protection. Peter would move heaven and earth to find Jasper if he were just to disappear with no explanation and if he discovered that he was dead then both him and Char would find the vampires or humans that had killed him and get revenge."

"Not that it is likely to happen, but it is a possibility, however miniscule," said Jasper not denying his wife's words. "However the one thing you forgot to mention is that he loves you to and he would whether or not you were his niece by blood. In any case Peter, Char and I fought together back to back during the bloodiest fighting known to our kind and when you fight together like that and go out of your way to protect each other that creates an almost unbreakable bond. Peter, Char and I, as far as I know anyway, are the only three that survived those brutal years of fighting and definitely the only ones to survive with our sanity intact."

"Besides Maria, you mean," Bella pointed out amused.

"True enough," Jasper admitted, "although I would not have precisely called her sane then or now and if anything she is likely to be even more crazy today. The Volturi did put a stop to the southern wars but unfortunately Maria managed to slip through their fingers so she is still out there, somewhere."

The twins listened as Jasper told stories about his days in the southern wars and also some of his Peter's and Char misadventures after they had escaped from Maria. Although some of the stories were sad Jasper still had them all howling with laughter at some of Peter's antics and this was how they spent the rest of the day just enjoying each others company.

Flashback

"How would feel about celebrating the winter solstice?" Jasper asked his wife as it was now the month of November, the 15th the be exact. They were curled on a comfortable couch in the living room pretending to watch a movie. They had already been on several missions at this point for the Volturi and the three kings had been very pleased with their work. Bella was rapidly picking up how to set explosives and the other things required in their line of work and didn't seem to feel the least guilty for killing off drug dealers, drug lord, or the people who worked for them.

"What's the winter solstice?" asked Bella with a raised eyebrow curiously.

"Well, the winter solstice is the solstice that occurs in winter. It is the time at which the sun is appearing at noon at its lowest altitude above the horizon. In the Northern hemisphere this is the southern solstice, the time at which the Sun is at its southernmost point in the sky, which usually occurs on December 21 to 22 each year. In the southern hemisphere this is the northern solstice, the time at which the sun is at its northernmost point in the sky, which usually occurs on June 20 to 21 each year. The axial tilt of earth and gyroscopic effects of the planet's daily rotation keep the axis of rotation pointed at the same point in the sky. As the Earth follows its orbit around the sun, the same hemisphere that faced away from the sun, experiencing winter, will, in half a year, face towards the sun and experience summer. Since the two hemispheres face opposite directions along the planetary pole, as one polar hemisphere experiences winter, the other experiences summer.

"More evident from high latitudes, a hemisphere's winter solstice occurs on the shortest day and longest night of the year, when the sun's daily maximum elevation in the sky is the lowest. Since the winter solstice lasts only a moment in time, other terms are often used for the day on which it occurs, such as midwinter, the longest night, the shortest day or the first day of winter. The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days."

"Did anybody ever tell you that you sound as if you swallowed a whole set of encyclopedias?" asked Bella as he lips twitched and the humor just rolled off her.

Jasper shrugged nonchalantly not at all embarrassed, "What can I say except when you have lived as long as I have you learn a lot of things including holidays that aren't as popular but that a lot of different cultures still celebrate even if they don't call it by a name you are familiar with."

"What does this solstice include?" asked Bella.

"Well it is a celebration so I thought and that usually includes food, festivals, spending time with loved ones, feasting, singing, dancing, fires."

"Bonfires like they do in La Push?"

"Yes, except it will just be you and me instead of a crowd," said Jasper.

"What about inviting, Rosalie, Emmett, Uncle Peter, Aunt Char, Demetri, Jane and Heidi?"

"I was hoping that this year you would agree for it to be just you and me," said Jasper with such a hopeful look that Bella had trouble controlling her laughter. Like spending time with the man she loved more then anyone or anything else was a hardship.

"Then if we decide to do this next year maybe we can invite everyone to come and join us for the celebration."

"Just you and me, hm," said Bella seeming to consider Jasper's proposal. "Just you, me, a nice, warm fire, a blanket spread out on the lawn and making love under the stars? Hm, that sounds absolutely wonderful," she finally seemed to decide although Jasper suspected that she had decided immediately but had kept him hanging for a few minutes as a way to tease him.

"You are a tease, you know that?" asked Jasper. "Don't think I don't know that the instant I mentioned being alone that you decided it was an excellent idea and you just kept me hanging because you could."

"Would I do that?" asked Bella her lips twitching just proving that what Jasper had said was true.

"Yes," said Jasper instantly pulling his wife and mate into his arms and kissing her hard before releasing her ignoring how she pouted as he was determined to punish her for her teasing.

"So why are we celebrating the winter solstice instead of Christmas which is just three days later?" asked Bella changing the subject seeing as how her pouting was not having the desired effect.

"I don't want you stuck on common human holidays. Christmas would have been a good idea a hundred years ago but today it is to commercialized. I want us to do something that doesn't have so many people celebrating it, not to mention all those store selling things based on Christmas and people spending hundreds of dollars every year. Christmas used to really mean something but a lot of that has been lost with the start of the twentieth century. Now for most people all it is about is getting as many presents as they possibly can instead of remembering the simple joy of giving just to see someone light up," Jasper answered. "I suppose we can switch back and forth and some years we can celebrate Christmas and Easter except without the food of course and then of course there are the feast days which are mostly on the Roman calendar."

"But as you just pointed out we don't eat," Bella said.

"I figured we could put that cellar that we went to the trouble of soundproofing and putting in that electronic door to use. It's certainly big enough to hold enough humans for both of us for the next month or so."

"But what about the fact that we don't want that many people disappearing because we don't want to draw attention to ourselves?" asked Bella. "Or the fact that we will have to feed them? And won't so many people disappearing at one time cause the other criminals to go into hiding?"

"Well we can't do it every year, at least not in Switzerland as we don't want the police to notice a pattern but who says we can't do it this year and then next year we can go somewhere else and do it if we want. We do own houses all over the country after all as Rosalie and Emmett and I split up the houses that the Cullens owned and they owned quite a few, probably close to fifty or so. We also don't have to stick to the official human holidays and just do it once or twice a year in different places or we can not do it if we don't want. Besides I doubt the police will investigate very hard if sixty drug dealers, rapists, muggers, prostitutes, murderers or even bums disappear like they would if some upstanding citizen did. They'll probably just decide that somebody just decided to clear out whom they would consider scum and as long as they never find any bodies, they will probably just decide to think that those undesirables just decided to leave town and leave it at that deciding that it is another city's problem instead of theirs. It will make their workload a little easier after all."

"I suppose that's good for us but in a way it's sad because even if they are criminals they are still human beings and deserve to at least be investigated properly when they do disappear."

"Yes, I suppose it is sad, but on the other hand we are taking care of people who go out of their way to do as much harm as they can. They could have chosen a different path but instead they decided to become a murderer, or a rapist, or a mugger or a drug dealer or lord. I'm just saying that people like that don't deserve to live and continue breathing."

"But what if they have families? You know spouses, children, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents?"

"Well I would think that their spouses, children and other relative would be happy that they have disappeared as a lot of times those kind of people have other problems besides being drug dealers, rapists and the like. A lot of times those type of people also abuse their spouse or children."

"But what if those people we kill are their family's main source of income and they end up on the street because that money is no longer available?"

"Darlin' we can't worry about that," said Jasper placing his hands on her shoulders forcing her to look at him. "That might be true, I don't know if it is, but we do need to eat and if we do discover that someone has ended up on the street because of what we did we will find a way to help them anonymously."

"You would do that for me?" asked Bella as she looked into her mate's eyes loving him more at that moment which she hadn't thought was possible as her love for him already filled every cell in her body with the intensity of it.

"Yes, I would do anything for you," said Jasper.

"I'm sorry to be so much trouble," said Bella as she looked anywhere except at her husband.

"Darlin' look at me," Jasper ordered going into major mode. When Bella finally looked at him all she saw in his eyes was the love, adoration and respect he had for her. "You are not causing trouble for me. I love you and love the fact that you care so much. Your purity of emotion and the fact that you care so much about other people, even scum is one of the things that attracted me to you in the beginning."

"It's not so much the scum I care about but the people left behind that depend on them," Bella corrected. "I don't like to think that somebody's family ended up on the street because of our actions, especially children."

"You need to quit worrying about this," The Major ordered his mate, "We can't help it if we need to eat although I suppose we can go back to animal blood if that is what you want."

"No," said Bella straightening her shoulders. "I don't care if we get rid of scum, it's just the season I think that has me worrying about what is happening to the scum's families. Just because one person in the family is some kind of criminal doesn't mean the other's deserve to suffer for it, but I promise I'll try not to think about it anymore."

"I love that you care so much even about people who don't deserve your sympathy," said The Major turning back into Jasper and giving his wife a kiss.

"We can do it for our anniversary, some years," Bella suggested after a moment and Jasper was happy to change the subject.

"Which anniversary? The one where you officially agreed to go out on a date with me and not to date anyone else? Or the day we discovered we were mates? Or the day we officially claimed each other as mates for all time? Or our wedding anniversary?"

"Do we have to do the same ones every year, why don't we just switch from year to year?" asked Bella. "Some years it can be just the two of us and others we can invite all our family to join in the celebration. Besides the day we officially discovered we were mates is also my birthday and I don't see why we can't combine the two, at least some of the time."

"I thought you didn't like celebrating you birthday," said Jasper with a raised eyebrow.

"Correction, it's not that I mind celebrating my birthday it is the fact that Alice being Alice had to make a big deal out of it. She's the one that insisted on having this huge party with so many presents and a cake even though I was the only one who could eat it. If we are going to celebrate it we can do it our way and for me that means a quite evening at home with the man I love. I've never liked being the center of attention, but you already knew that and Alice of course didn't listen when I told her I didn't want a big deal made out of my birthday. Maybe some years we can have a feast of humans and combine it with our mating anniversary. "

"Alice's party is where we discovered where we were meant to be mates," Jasper pointed out.

"Yes and I've been wondering if Alice insisted I have a big party because she knew I would get that paper cut and that you would recognize me as your other half."

"It's a possibility," said Jasper. "I suppose we will never know."

"No and it doesn't really matter anyway as long as we are together now. So how will we go about gathering enough humans for us to celebrate the winter solstice properly and how long does it last?"

"Well for some cultures there is a festival that last for a week leading up to the actual day but I thought we could put our own interpretation on it and make it last for the entire month of December."

"A month, Jasper?" asked Bella with a raised eyebrow. "And what else do you have planned for this celebration as we can't eat all the time."

"Well, my idea is that we spend lots of time in bed making wild, passionate love," said Jasper with a wicked gleam in his ruby red eyes.

"We do that anyway, not that I object, mind you," Bella reminded her husband with a smirk.

"Ah, but that is not all I have planned."

"Oh? What else is going on in the brilliant mind of my mate and husband Jasper Whitlock?"

Jasper smirked again at his wife's description of him. "Well I thought we could take some trips and see some of the wonders that Switzerland has to offer as we haven't done much of that yet."

"No we've been spending most of our time between feedings either in bed or gambling," said Bella smirking at her husband. "And what else do you have planned?"

"Well I thought that after we have had our dinner on the twenty-first we could exchange presents."

"I just knew gifts were going to come into it sometime," said Bella with a sigh.

"It won't be like at Christmas," Jasper assured her. "We'll each get each other one or two gifts and not twenty or thirty like if we were celebrating with the Cullens."

"And we really should get something for every single member of our family for Christmas."

"I don't think we need to worry about Demetri, Jane or Heidi at least this year as I'm not even sure if they celebrate Christmas although the others do.

"Sounds like a fine idea," said Bella. "I'm really looking forward to it, you know?"

"Good," said Jasper pleased that his idea had gone over so well. "Maybe this kind of thing can become a tradition even if we don't celebrate it on the same days every year."

"What about missions for the Volturi? Aren't you afraid that that will interfere?"

"Well even if it does we won't be gone more then a day or two and we can just extend our own celebrations if we have to."

"And the humans we intend on capturing? Aren't you afraid they will die on us before we drain them, especially if we have so many captive at one time? I'm sure the blood isn't as good if the human is a corpse."

"I thought that we could leave some food down in the cellar with them. Nothing that has to be cooked as I don't want any kind of fire as not only could there be some kind of accident, they could accidentally or on purpose start a fire or possibly figure out that fire is one of the few things that can kill us. As you know the room is not only soundproof but impossible to escape for a mere human and even a vampire would have a hard time."

"Yes I know," said Bella as she had watched as Jasper had installed not only a door but a false wall in part of the cellar. The cellar had been quite big but was not a little bit less then half the size it had been. The door Jasper had installed in the false wall was electronically controlled and the electronics for it were in the wall itself and the door was controlled by remote and only by remote. There was no possible way a human could escape as the hinges were recessed into the wall. Even for a vampire it was almost impossible to escape as the door was at least ten inches thick, made of the strongest metal known to man, had alarms in case anybody managed to get it open and there were no cracks or seams around the door's edge even indicating a door was there at all. Even if someone did manage to get that door open there was the door to the cellar itself which was of a very hard and treated wood that was at least 20 inches thick. You might think that having such a thick door would look suspicious but that particular door had already actually been installed when Jasper had bought the house. What the cellar had been originally used for they didn't know but it sure did come in handy now. Also the electronic door was covered by a panel of the same stone as the rest of the wall and so wasn't noticeable unless you knew what you were specifically looking for. Bella had to admit that all these arrangement were expensive but since Jasper had installed the door and the electronics himself it had been cheaper and also had the added benefit that it wouldn't be as easy to trace as Jasper had made sure to order the electronics online and had used one of his many aliases that was impossible to trace back to him.

"Have you ever done this kind of thing before?" asked Bella curiously. "You seem very proficient."

"No, I've never actually done this kind of thing of capturing so many humans at once and holding them captive. For a long time I was with Maria and I was to busy just trying to survive to even think of this kind of thing and when I was with the Cullens none of them, well besides Emmett and Rosalie would have approved at what we are doing. I'm sure I would have been thrown out of the family if I had ever done something like this. Besides doing this kind of thing even if I had thought about it is no fun to do alone and makes it much more pleasurable if you have someone you love doing it right beside you. In a way it's just like all those adventures we are planning on going on, I never did that kind of thing before, not because I didn't want to, but because doing them alone is not as much fun."

Bella thought about that for a minute then nodded. "I can see what you mean. So where did you learn how to do all that stuff, you know the electronics and the masonry?"

"Oh I picked up a lot of the electronics while living with the Cullens, going to college and everything. I must have been through college at least fifteen times in the years I lived with them. I not only have several Computer Science and Engineering degrees but also several philosophy, history and Master of Computer Applications degrees. As for the masonry I just picked that up on my own."

"I wish I had had a chance to go to college," said Bella looking a little wishful.

"You still can, you can do almost anything nowadays through the internet and I know that most colleges offer courses online and once you complete them your degree is mailed to you."

"Maybe I can do that in a few years, but not right now," said Bella.

"Yes, I would give yourself at least a decade so you can continue to get used to vampire life before you even think about taking college courses," said Jasper.

"So you mentioned earlier that the Cullens owned about fifty houses and now we own half of them, is that right? Why would they have owned so many and how could they without alerting the government that one family owned so much property, especially when they aren't known to be that rich?"

"Well you can really own just about anything without alerting the government just so long as you know how to do your own creative bookkeeping," said Jasper. "Carlisle and Esme owned those houses the same way they had so much money. Not all the houses were bought at one time but over the last hundred years or so and they were owned under several different aliases. Carlisle didn't really like to do that kind of thing, you know, having property and bank accounts under another last name I mean, he considered it dishonest, but when you are a vampire you have to learn to live with a little dishonesty unless you just want to be a nomad and just steal whatever you need."

"I can see your point," said Bella after a few minutes of thinking about it. "The government cannot be allowed to find out about our kind. If they do find out about us it would be like what Rose said last year and it would be the Salem Witch Trials all over again or I suppose it is possible that the government would capture some of our kind and then experiment on them."

"Carlisle never understood that, not really," said Jasper shaking his head. "He was just to inherently good to really understand the need to do certain things like having money in hidden bank accounts under different alias or the need to own property by doing the same thing. I'm not saying he didn't have such things but that is only because one of the others would do it for him. How he survived for almost three centuries without doing that I don't know."

"He probably survived on his doctors fees," Bella suggested. "Or he could have gone with my uncle died and left me a lot of money gimmick. Didn't we talk about the fact sometime ago that it is much easier today to trace bank accounts then it was when he was born because of current technology? I mean three hundred years or more ago, there was no way to trace that kind of thing unless you had the records available and you spent days or weeks doing it by hand."

"Still Carlisle had a hard time changing with the times and I suppose I can't really say it's all his fault as a lot of our kind seem to have trouble doing the same thing."

"You don't," said Bella.

"Well with my background I've just had to learn to adapt with the times or I would not have survived."

"Or maybe you are just more adaptable," Bella suggested.

"Well Rose and Emmett and Peter and Char are also pretty adaptable."

"Maybe it has a lot to do with what century you were born in?" Bella suggested.

"Carlisle was born in the 1640's and there wasn't much technology back then. There was no electricity, sure scientists were conducting experiments but people didn't figure out how to harness that power to get your modern day electricity for several centuries. If I remember from my history classes it was Benjamin Franklin in 1750's who discovered how to harness electricity and also created the lightning rod. So of course back then there were no computers, electronic banking, or the internet so maybe that's why Carlisle had such trouble adapting things that are so common place today. It's also easier to trace certain types of crimes nowadays through computers then it was when Carlisle was born since such things didn't exist back then so maybe he had such a hard time adjusting because he didn't think about the fact that the government could have traced where all his money came from if they somehow caught on that he had way more then should for being such a young doctor. I doubt that the rich uncle died excuse would work in this day and age unless you had some kind of paper trail to back it up." Bella paused then continued, "Anyway the other's though were all turned into vampires in the twentieth century, Rosalie in 1915, Emmett in 1935, I'm not really sure when Alice or Esme were turned and in Alice's case she might not even have known." Edward of course wasn't mentioned as neither Jasper or Bella considered him part of the family after what he had done. "I'm assuming that Uncle Peter was turned sometime in 1945 and I don't know about Char."

"Yes Peter was turned in 1945 and I changed Char about five years later."

"So you see maybe it has to do with the century you were born as to whether or not you have trouble adapting. Things might not have been as advanced as they are today but you still had telephones and other things back then."

"I never thought about it that way," Jasper admitted. "Maybe that's why everybody else had an easier adjustment and knows the necessary of creative bookkeeping and why Carlisle had such a hard time with accepting the fact that in this day and age such things are necessary. You sure do have a unique way of looking at things," said Jasper sending her his pride.

"That's probably part of it but maybe also part of it is what you suggested a few minutes ago, that he was just to inherently good to see the necessary of doing something like that and thanks for the compliment."

"You're welcome," said Jasper.

They both fell silent for a while and watched part of the movie. "So how many houses do we own and where are they?" asked Bella.

"Well," said Jasper thoughtfully. "We of course own this house and the one in Alaska although Emmett, Rose and I were going to sell that one as it holds to many memories for us as we lived there a lot. Whenever we moved out of one house we usually went to the one in Alaska for awhile until we could decide where to move to next. There is one in Hawaii although we've only been a few times as it doesn't rain or isn't as cloudy as much.

"So why buy a house in a place that is so sunny?"

"Well it isn't so sunny in the winter months and it rains a lot then. The house also has it's own private beach to where few people can get to because the house is sitting right on the edge with a high wall and a gate leading to it. Not many ships come that way either so it's mostly very private."

"We'll have to go sometime as I would love to see you glimmer in the sun," said Bella. "I bet you look absolutely breathtaking with your skin glittering like millions of tiny diamonds."

"You will be way more beautiful then me glittering in the sun," Jasper told her tenderly kissing her.

"I suppose that's a matter of opinion," said Bella returning the kiss. "Where else do you have houses?"

"Well there is one in Philadelphia," said Jasper.

"Where you met Alice?" asked Bella.

"Yes, but the reason we own a house there is the city has a lot of rain and cloudy days, not as many as Forks of course but still quite a few. We also own places in New York, Puerto Rico, San Francisco, Florida, Fiji, Australia, India, the Philippines, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Madagascar, Kenya, France, Spain, Cameroon, Guatemala, Poland, Iceland, Greenland, Hong Kong, the United State Virgin Islands, Maryland, Dakota, Massachusetts, Virginia, Colorado, Alabama, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Kanas, Ohio, Nevada, England, Scotland, Canada Ireland, Austria, Finland, Portugal, Belgium and Bulgaria."

"You own nearly fifty houses all over the the world," Bella choked out looking so shocked and appalled at the same time that Jasper had to force himself not to laugh.

"How the hell do you maintain so many places and not go broke?" asked Bella. "And I thought you said we owned twenty-five houses."

"No I said that Rose, Emmett and I split the fifty houses that the Carlisle and Esme owned but I never said that I didn't own a few houses myself. When I was on my own I bought a few places that were known for their privacy and a few of them have high walls around them so I can be out in the sunlight and nobody sees. I used some of them occasionally even when I was with the Cullens just to get away from everything you know. When you get to be as old as I am you just collect things like houses and money because sometimes somebody catches on, not necessarily to what we are but that we are strange and keep to ourselves or because one of the Cullens slips up and kills a human and somebody sees which I admit was usually me or Emmett. Oh, and in some places people think that because we keep to ourselves means we must be thieves or murderers and so come to either burn us out or force us to leave. I've had to leave an area in a hurry before I joined the Cullens and it happened a few times after I joined them to so it's nice to have places all over the country that you can go to if you have to."

"Like that time in Dakota you mentioned months ago?" asked Bella.

"Oh yeah, it was Emmett's fault that time as he came across his singer and unlike fuckwad was unable to resist and so killed him and drank his blood. Somebody was a witness of course and so we had to leave the area in a hurry. I'm glad that didn't happen this time though or I never would have even known you or that you were my mate," said Jasper kissing the top of Bella's head from where she was cuddled into his side. "If fuckwad hadn't resisted you would be nothing but a statistic and we would have had to move in a hurry."

"I'm glad he resisted to as not only did I not want to die at seventeen, I never would have met you and that would have been a tragedy, so as much as I don't want to be grateful to him I suppose for this one thing I have to be. Anyway you'll have to tell me the whole story of why you had to leave Dakota so quickly sometime," said Bella.

"Sure, but be warned that Emmett doesn't find it very funny when somebody mentions his slipup as I'm afraid I as well as Rose teased him about it a little to much."

"Why would you do something like that? Teasing Emmett just because at that time he slipped up? I know he is drinking human blood now but back then he was drinking animal blood and you probably made him feel really bad about his slipup even though the guy was his singer."

Jasper looked shamefaced and said, "You're right I shouldn't have teased him quite so much especially not about that since I'm just as guilty of slipping up although I've always been very lucky and never encountered my singer. I know that is no excuse but Emmett was always teasing me about something or other that I just wanted to get him back a little but I realize now that I went to far."

"Did Emmett ever tease, fuckwad?" asked Bella tentatively not sure if she should bring the subject up.

"Oh yes, he never took it well. Instead of just ignoring Emmett or playing a prank on him in order to get him back he would either disappear out of the house for awhile to sulk or tattletale on him to Esme or Carlisle."

Bella shook her head, "I don't believe I never saw what an uptight, controlling, overbearing, humorless, selfish, childish person he was. I should have but at the time I just thought those traits were endearing. I think at the time that whenever I started to see something I didn't like he would dazzle me until I forgot what I was thinking."

"You did eventually see what kind of person he was," said Jasper.

"When he wasn't around to dazzle me I thought a lot clearer. I suppose that also my age and inexperience with dating also might have something to do with it since he was the only boy I'd ever dated. Perhaps if I had dated more I would have been able to see him for what he was a lot sooner then I did."

"But then we might never have gotten together," Jasper said as he tenderly stroked his wife's arm. "Despite what happened with him we have to believe that things happened as they were supposed to even if that meant that Carlisle, Esme and Alice had to die. You can't keep wondering about what ifs or it will drive you insane."

"Sometimes I just can't help it," Bella admitted. "In my free moments I keep wondering what if things hadn't happened the way they had? What if we had still gotten together but Alice, Carlisle and Esme were still alive?"

"I know of a perfect way to distract you when your mind wants to dwell on what happened," said Jasper looking innocent.

"Let me guess, it involves fucking each other for who knows how long," said Bella as she smirked her bad mood dissipated.

"How do you know?" asked Jasper with an innocent expression.

"Because I know you," said Bella with a smirk, "although I suppose that it isn't just you as most men tend to think about sex all the time even if they aren't in love with anybody."

Jasper didn't respond verbally and simply took Bella into his arms and gave her a deep and heartfelt kiss.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

The rest of the month of November just flew by and in between a couple of missions for the Volturi they stocked their cellar room with easy to open, nonperishable food items including bottled water. Once they got that done they went hunting in the bad part of town and brought back at least five people a night so that they would have enough people to have their own feast. Every time they got back from one of these expeditions they would watch the news to make sure what they were doing hadn't been noticed and although it was briefly mentioned that several drug dealers, rapists, muggers and other known criminals had disappeared that was all that was said. Nobody seemed to care that all these criminals had just up and vanished or that an outside agency might be behind it.

"So how many people are we going to need for a whole month?" asked Bella.

"Well if we each drink one human every night that's what sixty people?"

"Isn't that an awful lot of people disappearing at once?" asked Bella worriedly. "Isn't that many bound to be noticed?"

"Well it hasn't been noticed so far other then that short blurb on the news the other night," said Jasper.

"It's just that I don't want to have to leave this area in a hurry as I'm really beginning to like Switzerland and we haven't been here very long."

"Well I never would have tried kidnapping so many people at once if I didn't think it would work," said Jasper. "That's also why as soon as we kidnap our criminals for the night we go somewhere public and since we run instead of drive we are within a set timeframe. The police if they do catch on, which isn't very likely, will just think that no it couldn't have been them because there is no way they could make it from point A to point B in so little time. Next time we do this though we need to do just two weeks instead of a month."

"So why do a month this time?"

"Because it is our first time and I wanted to make it special."

"Oh it is special as long as I'm with you," said Bella stroking Jasper's cheek tenderly. "And is that why we run?" asked Bella changing the subject aptly, "and why I always run back later to get the car so we can be seen driving away hours later?"

"Exactly," said Jasper.

"It sure is complicated and a lot more work then I anticipated."

"But fun isn't it?" asked Jasper with a wink. "The thrill of the hunt and the way we have stopped several crimes in progress and all that."

"Yes it is fun and starting in just a couple of days our feast begins and I'm starting to get pretty thirsty already," said Bella.

"Anticipation, as I'm pretty thirsty as well," said Jasper with a wink.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Two days later at nightfall Bella and Jasper entered the cellar and the secret room to find all sixty people congregated at the far end.

"Who are you?" demanded one man belligerently.

"Why have you kidnapped us?" demanded another.

"Well," Bella purred as she stalked towards a man who had been staring at her in a lustful way ever since she had entered the room a few seconds ago. "Every single one of you was brought here for a purpose and that is to be our meals for the month of December. It is the month of the Winter Solstice after all and this is our way of celebrating since we can't eat human food."

"What are you, cannibals?" demanded another man rudely.

"No, we're not cannibals," said Jasper stepping forward looking menacing as he caught one man trying to sneak up behind his mate probably to try to conk her on the head if the steel pipe in his hand was any indication. "We don't eat flesh, we just drink blood.

"Naughty, naughty," Jasper added as he grabbed the man by the collar grabbing the steel pipe out of his hand. Jasper shook his finger at the man as if he was a child that had been caught up to mischief. "You might have lived a little longer if you hadn't tried that. Did you really believe that conking one of us on the back of the head would work? We can't be knocked unconscious by a piece of steel pipe, not to mention a little, weak, human. All that pipe would have done is become bent in the shape of my wife's head."

"Vrykolakas!" gibbered one man backing away looking terrified.

"I believe that is Greek for vampire, darlin'," said Jasper looking amused.

"Is it?" asked Bella looking interested. "Well what do you know you learn something new everyday."

"Vampire's don't exist this is all just some kind of hoax," said another man with black hair and who looked like he was of Philippine's descent.

"Hoax is it?" Bella scoffed. "Tell me something then, if it was hoax then how did we get you here and all you got was a blurb on the news? Believe me or not but vampires exist as just two years ago I used to be just like you a human who met a bunch of vampires. I was just seventeen when that happened but luckily for me when they were vegetarians and drank only animal blood so when I found out about them they treated me as a member of the family."

"But here you are about to drink humans blood," said a woman speaking up bravely as both the man and the woman moved like the predators, they were inhumanly handsome and beautiful in an unearthly way. The woman could be a model and win every beauty pageant out there and the man was also very handsome although the prostitute could see a couple of faint crescent shaped scars up under his hairline that were almost invisible unless you had really good eyesight. The prostitute had a feeling that the unnamed man was a warrior and she was sure that he had other scars elsewhere. The only reason she could see the scars at all was that she had exceptionally good eyesight and she had a feeling because the scars were so faint they would be nearly impossible to see except under strong light or maybe for another vampire whom she had read somewhere had exceptional seeing, hearing, sense of smell capabilities, were stronger then a hundred humans and could run faster then the wind. Of course vampires were also supposed to be nothing but myth and legends as well, yet here they were and she had no doubt that they really were vampires.

Also even in the dim light the prostitute could tell that their eyes were red and not brown or hazel and that right there should have been someone's first clue that these two people were anything but human, thought the woman. Some sense of self-preservation in her instantly recognized that soon she would be just as dead and there was no escape. In that moment her entire, pathetic life flashed in front of her eyes and she accepted her fate for she knew that she would be drained dry if not today or the next then certainly before the month was out.

Bella shrugged nonchalantly. "Things change, perhaps if my father hadn't been killed by a bunch of drunk and drugged out of their skulls high school boys I would feel differently. It is people like you that supply such things and therefore in my book you are as equally guilty. The only reason you are here is because you are a disgrace to the society you live in. You are murderers, rapists, muggers, drug dealers and prostitutes, if you had chosen an honest line of work you wouldn't be here now as my mate and I only go after criminals. Either the police don't know or care about you or they don't have enough evidence to arrest you, either way it doesn't matter as you will be our meals for the month of December as those who go out of their way to harm others don't deserve to live, as more often then not, even when you are given a chance to reform you go right back to our old profession as soon as you are released from prison."

"Shall we have our dinner darlin' before we go and do the other activities we have planned for tonight?" asked Jasper with a smirk, winking in his wife's direction.

"Yes, I'm very thirsty," Bella purred as she walked towards where Jasper was holding the man that had been going to conk her on the back of the head. "Can I have the man you are holding, cowboy?" she asked observing the way that Jasper held the man quite firmly that no matter how he struggled he couldn't get loose. "I have a bit of a score to settle with him as he did just try to beam me with that piece of steel pipe you took away from him and it might not have hurt me but it sure would have messed up my hair."

"I didn't think you cared about such things," said Jasper looking amused.

"I normally don't but since this is the first holiday we are celebrating together I thought it would be good to look a little nicer then normal."

"You always look exquisite, darlin'," complimented Jasper as he sent her his love and lust. "And since you asked so nicely this fellow is yours. Didn't Alice used to have to drag you kicking and screaming into her bathroom for a round of Bella Barbie?" he added with a chuckle which was a deep, beautiful and rich, sounding like melted chocolate and would have made any female want to hear it again and also get to know the man who possessed it better.

"Why thank you, cowboy, you are always such a gentleman," said Bella giving him a kiss on the nose. "And yes she did but that is different as she was always forcing me to try things I didn't want to try. This was something I actually wanted to do and unlike with Alice it wasn't forced and didn't take me hours."

"It's just old fashioned manners, ma'am," said Jasper tilting his head as if he was wearing a cowboy hat responding to his wife's compliment of a second ago.

The people on the other side of the room watched the banter between the female known as Bella and the male they only knew as cowboy, which had to be some kind of endearment and all of them came to the conclusion that they had probably once been human just like them but somehow they had been changed into what they were now.

Bella took the man from her husband and he increased his struggles, trying to wiggle out of her grip but Bella held him firmly not giving him even an inch of wriggle room and bit down on his neck so he soon stopped struggling.

"Hm, delicious," said Bella smacking her lips as she finished draining the man dry and threw the corpse into a corner. "Nice, pure and straight from the tap just like I like them. I'm still thirsty though," Bella whined.

"Have another if you want," said Jasper looking up from his own meal. "We can either go and kidnap someone else or not do the full thirty days. I should have taken into account that you are only a little over a year old and it is going to be a while before one person's blood will satisfy you."

"I don't want to ruin what you have planned," said Bella looking ashamed of herself.

"You won't," Jasper promised. "I'm still feeling a little peckish myself but since I am older then you I'm better at controlling it then you are and we have been holding off hunting so we weren't to full to eat tonight."

"I don't want to get so full that I can't eat tomorrow."

"Trust me you won't be not with what I have planned anyway," said Jasper with a smirk and a wink. "We might only be able to drink one apiece tomorrow but we will still have our dinner."

"All right, if you say so," said Bella glad she couldn't blush anymore as she turned around to choose another human to drink.

The fifty-eight remaining humans shrank away from her as she stalked towards them with lethal grace.

"And what gives you the right to judge us?" demanded one lady dressed in an ill fitting business suit not seeming to be afraid on the outside but Bella could smell the fear just rolling off her and it made her trace her tongue over her bottom lip in anticipation as the woman's fear was delicious and made the blood all the sweeter.

"Well let's see," said Bella stalking over to the woman until she was standing right in front of her. Bella reached up and ran a nail down the woman's cheek drawing blood, causing the woman to whimper in pain and back away as far as she could not that it did any good as Bella just followed her, "maybe the fact that people like you make me sick as you prey on the innocent, or maybe the fact that taking people like you off the streets makes innocent people a little safer, or maybe just because we can and neither of us feels the least guilty at getting rid of people like you and we do need to eat," she added drawing several more lines of blood on the woman's cheeks. "Besides haven't you ever heard the quote: "The weak die out and the strong will survive, and will live on forever? That quote was said by Anne Frank who was persecuted doing the Nazi occupation of Germany and eventually died in a concentration camp in 1945. Her diary though was saved and it has become world famous." Bella while she was giving her history lesson continued to play with her food leaving several more knifelike wounds all up the woman's arms, legs and on her face but after a few more minutes got tired of it, struck and drained the woman dry in minutes.

"Now I'm full," said Bella turning to watch as Jasper finished off his second one as well. The way he firmly held his prey and bit into the man's neck never failed to make her wet as she thought it was one of the sexiest things she had ever seen.

Jasper finally finished off his second human as well and looked up still holding the corpse. "Well let's get rid of the evidence shall we?"

"After we do that it is just you, me and our nice big bed," Bella suggested coyly.

"I thought we could watch some movies first," said Jasper teasingly.

"We can do that after but right now I want you in the worst possible way."

"Your wish is my command, darlin', you know that. Besides I can smell your arousal from over here," said Jasper love and adoration shining in his ruby red eyes, "and the day I prefer to watch movies instead of making love to my, gorgeous, beautiful and sexy mate is the day the world ends."

"Well then, let's go bury the evidence shall we so we can get to that," said Bella her voice thick with desire. "Don't even think about it," she added sharply as she saw one of their prisoners try to sneak towards the door in order to get out of the room in order to hopefully escape. The man stopped at Bella's authoritative command and because there was suddenly a shimmering blue wall up in front of the door which he couldn't get around and so he just stood there quivering in fear. Bella stalked up to him and examined him from all sides before saying. "Do you know you make more noise then an elephant and even if you did get out of this room there is no way you could escape this cellar before we could catch you as the cellar door is at least twenty inches thick and we made sure to lock it before coming in here."

"So this man tried to get away did he?" asked Jasper joining his wife. "It's to bad we are full or we would teach him a lesson for disobedience."

"Why don't you use your talent on him and make him feel enough fear and pain that he won't try it again? He can be an example to the rest."

"Great idea," said Jasper his red eyes shining with love as he sent his Bella his admiration and adoration. A millisecond later he turned to the man and sent him enough pain, horror, terror and fear that it was less then five seconds later that the man was just a quivering mass of jelly on the floor who was screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Well he certainly has a good set of lungs," Bella observed dispassionately. "It's a good thing you soundproofed the whole cellar though because even though we are out in the middle of nowhere there is a chance that somebody could be passing by and still hear."

The other people in the cellar watched in horror as somehow the man they knew only as cowboy had caused their fellow prisoner enough pain and fear that he dropped to the ground and curled up into a ball in less then five seconds and he hadn't even been touched physically. Also somehow the woman known only as Bella had brought up some kind of shimmering barrier to block the door so that the man couldn't get out of the room was a mystery as none of the humans had ever seen anything like it.

"I think that's enough, Jasper," said Bella as she observed the whimpering, crying mass of jelly that was a human being on the floor dispassionately. "I think he's learned his lesson and if he hasn't he isn't going to live long enough for us to worry about it. What do you know he wet himself," Bella added smelling the distinct tang of urine. "You do good work if you can cause him to wet himself in less then two minutes."

"As you wish darlin'," said Jasper looking disappointed as he stopped sending out his emotions to the quivering figure laying on the ground. "Let that be a lesson for you in your next life, if believe in reincarnation, find an honest line of work and we won't bother you but become somebody who hurts others and you will not be safe for even if my mate and I don't get you it's possible one of our kind will."

"Well shall we get going?" asked Bella picking up two corpses and slinging one over her shoulder and carrying the other one in her arms as she exited to room.

"We shall," said Jasper doing the same. As soon as he had exited the room he took out the remote and pushed a button and the door closed with almost no sound except a small click as it latched firmly shut.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Thank you for dinner, cowboy," said Bella kissing his ever willing lips after they had buried the four corpses several miles from their property. Bella took Jasper's hand in hers and they walked back to their house slowly along the deserted road so as to enjoy each others company and the cold, brisk night air. Both were wearing pants and short sleeve shirts and if they had been human they would have been freezing but to a couple of vampires it felt good against their skin.

"You're welcome," said Jasper returning the kiss. "So you enjoyed yourself then?" he added teasingly.

"Oh yes," Bella purred her eyes lighting up. "You shouldn't even have to ask whether or not I had a good time considering your talent," she added.

"True enough," Jasper said leaning over to kiss her again even while they were still moving.

"Even I could feel the fear coming off our prisoners, especially that woman I tortured and I don't have your talent. I never thought I would enjoy that kind of thing but it was absolutely mouthwatering and made that man and woman I fed on even better."

"Fear sweetens the blood," said Jasper with a smirk. "And a lot of humans we drink from can use all the sweetening I can manage especially if they are on drugs or have alcohol in their system even though that kind of thing won't harm us it changes the taste and it isn't as good as pure, untainted blood."

"Which is why you use your talent to make them fear you even more than they already do," said Bella her eyes lighting up with understanding.

"Exactly," said Jasper with a smirk as he sent her his pride.

"You know that way you handled that man that tried to hit me with that steel pipe was mildly amusing and also that man that thought he could escape from two vampires," said Bella giggling as she remembered. "I wonder where he got the steel pipe from?" she asked.

"I left several pieces of pipe over in one corner after I finished installing the toilet a weeks ago. I didn't want to have to empty buckets of urine and poop everytime we had people down there and I suppose I just forgot to get rid of the pieces that were left over."

"You forget?" asked Bella with disbelief coloring her voice.

"All right, fine I was just being polite, but have it your way then, I was distracted by my sexy and irresistible wife."

"Sexy and irresistible am I?" asked Bella as she and Jasper stopped at the side of the road and she kissed him passionately and with every ounce of love in her soul.

"Absolutely," said Jasper returning the kiss with equal passion putting his whole dead heart into it and then added when he pulled away, "Yes, I heard every move the man that tried to sneak out the door made and he wouldn't have even escaped the room before I stopped him but the way you raised that shield over the door and the way he stood so still when you ordered him to was also very amusing," said Jasper with a chuckle as he remembered. "I never knew you had it in you to be so authoritative."

"Oh, I've picked up a thing or two from you over the last year or so," said Bella. "I really enjoyed how you handled that second man you drained, the way you held him so firmly just turned me on, not that it takes much to do that as to me at least you are the sexiest, handsomest man in the world."

Jasper turned to his wife and picked her up in his arms and kissed her ardently as he swung her around.

"Did I mention that way you tortured that woman made me want you and that I found it incredibly sexy the way you drew her blood and that quote you came up with was very fitting and appropriate."

"Yes, well I remember reading that, I believe I was sixteen and even though a lot of it didn't stick in my brain after I was changed some of it apparently did. I also remember that Anne Frank's father Otto was the only survivor of the Nazi Concentration camps and when he found out that his daughter's diary had survived he struggled to get it published which took him two years and was originally published in the original Dutch but about five years later was published in English the title being The Diary of a Young Girl. Today it is published in a lot of languages although I'm not sure how many and is titled The Diary of Anne Frank. Well what do you know I remembered more then I thought I did," said Bella in amazement. "I might have to go back and reread that," she mused thoughtfully. "The only other thing I remember is that the story was very sad and heartwarming at the same time as not only did Anne die in the Nazi camps but also her sister, whom I don't remember the name of."

"Yes, I know, I read about it after I escaped from Maria. You know that history has always been a passion of mine, especially war history and since the Nazi regime led to World War II I read all about how Hitler came to power.

"The Nazi movement started originally in the 20's and by the 30's the it was quite large, the largest in Germany actually and they almost seized control just by voting for Hitler in the elections but the voting percentage came out at 31 percent the first time and 36 almost 37 percent the second time and doing the third round of voting it didn't even go up a percent.

"Chancellor Franz von Papen called for another round election in November hoping to sway the impasse but the electoral result was the same, with the Nazis and the KPD winning 50% of the vote between them and more than half the seats, rendering this Reichstag no more workable than its predecessor. Support for the Nazis had fallen at this point to 33.1%, suggesting that the Nazi surge had passed its peak, possibly because the worst of the Depression had passed, possibly because some middle-class voters who had supported Hitler in July as a protest, had now drawn back from the prospect of actually putting him into power. The Nazis interpreted the result as a warning that they must seize power before their moment passed. Had the other parties united, this could have been prevented, but their shortsightedness made a united front impossible. Papen, his successor Kurt von Schleicher, and the nationalist press magnate Alfred Hugenberg spent December and January in political intrigues that eventually persuaded President Hindenburg it was safe to appoint Hitler Reich Chancellor at the head of a cabinet including only a minority of Nazi ministers, which he did on 30 January 1933."

"Wow you sure know a lot about history," said Bella admiringly

"Sure do," said Jasper with pride. "A lot of what I know I just learned through living for so long, as for the rest I read about it and since I am a vampire I never actually forget something although I might have trouble retrieving a specific memory if it was something that happened or I read a long time ago. You'll know as much as me someday, just you wait until you are as old as I am. You'll find that when you don't waste seven or eight hours a night sleeping, you have endless amounts of time to do whatever the hell you want and as much I would love for us to have sex for the next hundred years we do need to do other things besides hunt and fuck."

"Only a hundred years?" asked Bella her lips quirking in humor

"Perhaps I misspoke as I should have said for the rest of our eternity," said Jasper huskily catching his mate's feelings of humor.

"That's better," said Bella leaning over and kissing his lips as they walked slowly towards their home.

Jasper growled and stopped moving only to take his wife into his arms kissing her passionately his tongue demanding entrance to her mouth which she immediately granted him.

"We had better stop this or we are not going to make it home and I'll fuck you right here on the road."

"Why don't you?" asked Bella breathlessly.

"You have become such an exhibitionist ever since we first made love," Jasper teased his wife. Bella looked all embarrassed even if she couldn't blush anymore. "There's no need to be embarrassed darlin' for if I had my way I guarantee you we would be making love in as many public places as possible but as much as I would love to fuck you right here on the road there is to much of a chance of someone passing by and seeing us so let's just finish our walk shall we?"

"Ah, I never get what I want," Bella pouted.

Jasper kissed Bella's pouting lips hard one more time and then roughly pulled away.

"Oh I'll give you what you want all right, just as soon as we get home and to our nice, big, soft bed," said Jasper his voice husky and filled with passion, lust and promise.

"Well let's hurry home then," Bella ordered tucking on Jasper's hand trying to get him to move faster.

"And where do you want to go in such a hurry, Mrs. Whitlock?" Jasper asked teasingly. "Is there someplace else you would rather be then taking a nice, slow evening walk with your husband?"

"Oh, yes," Bella purred licking her mate's cheek while also sucking on it causing Jasper to gasp and then purr at the sensations that his wife was causing just by doing both at the same time. "I would like to be in our nice, big bed fucking my handsome, sexy, husband, who is a cowboy sex god, whom I want twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty-five days a year for the rest of my existence whether that is a hundred, a thousand, five thousand or a million years. Just in case your math is off that means all the damn time. Every minute of everyday, of every year, of every century I want you."

Jasper gulped and again wondered how he had gotten so damn lucky as he could feel Bella's love and desire for his body and said, "I feel the exact same way and want you just as much."

They finished their walk in silence hand in hand and as soon as they arrived home they raced each other to their bedroom leaving two trails of clothes in their wake.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"So who shall be our meals tonight, Jasper?" Bella purred making sure to leave her shield up to cover the door as soon as she and Jasper had opened the hidden entrance with the remote and entered. All fifty-six remaining humans were congregated at the far end of the room, some standing other's sitting with their backs against the wall.

"Please don't kill us," begged one man.

"Just let us go and we swear we won't say anything about you," begged another, woman this time.

"She's only telling part of the truth not that it really matters," Jasper informed his wife as he read the woman's emotions which were truthfulness mixed with dishonesty.

"Even if we wanted to let you go we couldn't," Bella informed the fifty-six humans, "not that we want to mind you."

"Why can't you let us go?" asked another man who was standing but with his back against the wall looking at the two vampires known only as Jasper and Bella the fear and anger just coming off him.

"Because we have certain laws and if our rulers found out that you knew of our kind and our world and we hadn't either killed you or turned you into one of us, well let's just say that would be very bad, not only for you, but for us as well," Bella informed them calmly as she stalked forward and tried to decide who she wanted for her dinner as they all smelled absolutely mouthwatering and delicious.

"You knew and you weren't punished," one woman protested.

"That's a little different as technically I figured it out on my own and by the time the Volturi found out I was already a vampire."

"Carlisle the leader of our former coven and his mate and the rest of the family could have been in big trouble if it had been discovered though, but at that time we all felt it was better for her to finish high school so that she could presumedly go away to college and then just naturally cut ties," Jasper added. "One thing that is absolutely necessary and vital with our kind is secrecy. Most of us live outside of society..."

"Which is why our house is on about a hundred acres of land and out in the middle of the countryside," Bella added. "Our home is very hard to find unless you knew specifically where you were going even if there is a dirt road leading to it. What can we say except we like our privacy," she added cheekily.

"That we do darlin'," said Jasper in agreement. "We wouldn't want the whole city to hear us when we make love now would we?" he added teasingly.

"You got that right, cowboy," said Bella not even getting embarrassed at the insinuation that was plain in the way Jasper said it. "We both tend to rather...enthusiastic when we make love."

"Don't you mean loud?" Jasper suggested with a smirk, laughing.

"I was trying to use a polite word," said Bella primly before she gave in and laughed right along with him. Bella's laugh sounded musical, like a hundred tiny bells all ringing at the same time and the sheer joy in the sound would make any man want her just to hear her laugh so freely and joyfully again.

The fifty-six criminals watched the banter fascinated despite the fact that they knew they were looking at their deaths for the now named Jasper and his wife Bella acted very human and if it wasn't for the fact that they had red eyes, were inhumanly handsome, and drank blood they would be just like any other couple who was deeply, irrevocably and eternally in love.

"So shall we have our dinner, my mate?" Jasper suggested wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"You mean before we go and do other things like actually watch those movies we intended to watch last night but never got around to?" Bella suggested with a smirk and a wink.

Suddenly there was a ringing sound and the humans looked startled at the noise that sounded loud in the silence but Bella just took her cell phone out of her pocket without comment and answered it after checking the caller ID. "Hi Uncle Peter...can I call you back, Jasper and I were just about to have dinner...yes we are doing just fine...you know there is no need to worry about that, he treats me like a princess...yes, Uncle Peter, uh-huh..." Bella rolled her eyes as she continued to listen to what Peter was saying. "Did you call just to be annoying?...I'll tell you how I can say that...Uncle Peter, I'm really thirsty right now, I promise to call you back after I have had my dinner...is Char there?...She must not be or she would never let you get away with some of the things you are suggesting...Don't make me tell her what you just said, you know what she'll do if I inform her of this conversation...I'm going to hang up now and I'm turning my phone off and making sure Jasper does the same...I'll call you...yes, yes, I promise...I love you too." Bella finally turned off her phone and put it in her pocket rolling her eyes again as she remembered their conversation.

"Peter being his usual annoying self?" asked Jasper with a smirk as he had heard every word of the conversation from both ends with his advanced hearing and besides Peter had a loud voice. Even if the human hadn't been able to hear what Peter had said he sure could and he could also feel that Bella wasn't half as annoyed as she pretended to be and felt more humor, love and affection then anything else for her uncle by blood.

"That's an understatement," Bella muttered. "I'll tell you all about it later but right now it's dinner time." At her words the fifty-six humans shrank away even though they knew it would do no good.

"No need to tell me what he said, Peter has a very loud voice and I heard every word."

"Good then I won't need to repeat what he said," said Bella with another roll of her eyes. "Some of the stuff he was insinuating..."

"That's just Peter," said Jasper shaking his head. "Char has kicked his ass to Houston and back but it hasn't seemed to do any good as he can still be very..." Jasper tried to find a polite word for what Peter was and failed.

"Rude?" Bella suggested helpfully. "Crude?"

"Those things and more," said Jasper shaking his head. "Don't get me wrong, I love him like a brother and he is a good guy to have at your back if you are in the middle of a fight but he can be very...impolite a lot of the time."

"That's just the nice way of saying that he talks like a sailor," said Bella clearly amused. "Where he picked it up I don't know as from what I remember of my Grandmother Marie she was to much of a lady to use such unladylike language and I'm sure Uncle Peter was taught better to."

"He probably picked a lot of it up in the army, as those kind of men aren't very polite and use rather crude language and he probably picked up the rest from the southern wars and when he and Char travel all over the world. He can cuss in about fifteen different languages and I could to of course if I really wanted to."

"You're just to polite to, which is one of the things I love about you," said Bella kissing him before turning back to the humans on the other side of the room. "There's nothing wrong with a little cussing but there is such a thing as going to far, you know? Anyway it is time for us to have our dinner and then to get to those other activities we have planned."

Bella stalked towards the humans and just selected one as no one had annoyed her tonight and dragged him to the other side of the room by the back of his shirt so that no matter how much he struggled he couldn't escape. When she reached where Jasper was already feeding she took his hand in hers and then sank her teeth into her chosen meal's neck and savored every drop of blood that passed her lips. Jasper of course was polite enough to use his talent without her even having to ask to make her meal quiver in even more fear then he was already in so that it would sweeten the blood. Once her meal was drained dry she released the corpse letting it fall to the ground beside the remains of Jasper's meal and she immediately leaned up in her tiptoes to give Jasper a kiss on the lips. "Thank you for dinner, shall we go and watch those movies now?"

"You're welcome," Jasper assured her as he returned the kiss. "Let's go bury the evidence shall we and then we can watch those movies."

"Oh, yeah," Bella enthusiastically agreed her eyes now an even brighter red then they had been before. "Cuddling up with you on the couch is just what the doctor ordered and we should always follow sound medical advice, shouldn't we?" Bella teased gently.

"Absolutely," Jasper agreed as he picked up his corpse and watched Bella do the same. The part of him that was raised to be the gentleman wanted to carry the man she had just fed from for her but he knew that if even suggested it he would get a lecture about how she wasn't some kind of damsel in distress and that she wanted to be treated like an equal. He supposed he couldn't really blame his mate for her attitude as her one and only boyfriend, his former brother Edward, had treated her like she couldn't even walk across the street by herself without his assistance. He admitted that she had been the clumsiest person he had ever known when she had been human, but he had often thought that if she had had more self-confidence as a human she might not have been quite so clumsy if at all.

He also admitted that it was getting easier to suppress his gentlemanly instincts as he saw how Bella handled life as a vampire. Sure she still had some hangups left over from her human life including getting embarrassed when complimented although it was getting harder and harder to embarrass her at all at least where it concerned being praised. Now when she was praised what she did was ignore the compliment entirely and change the subject completely which Jasper supposed was progress of a sort. He sighed internally and again wished that her mother was alive so that she could torture her for months maybe even years for what she had done to his Bella. He would have found a way to torture her for a least a year without turning her into a vampire even if he had to get something that would cauterize a bleeding wound. It was largely because of her that Bella was like she was. Four days of torture didn't really seem like enough of a punishment for the way she had gone and done her own thing instead of raising her daughter to be confident in herself as a person and leaving her on her own so much.

Well it was to late now which really was a shame and the demon within him agreed but there wasn't really anything they could do about it unfortunately as even though vampires were technically the walking dead they could not raise a corpse.

"So shall we watch those movies?" asked Bella a few minutes later as soon as they had finished with their grisly task of burying the bodies.

"Sure, but you had better call Peter first just like you promised you would so he doesn't worry."

Bella rolled her eyes and said, "I'm not sure I'm in the mood to talk to him after out last conversation."

"He was just trying to get you going, you know how he is. You can't let him think he really got to you or he will never stop teasing you."

"Oh all right," Bella sighed, resigned taking out her phone and after turning it on she dialed Peter's and Charlotte's number in Texas.

It was answered on the first ring and Bella talked and walked at the same time which was not something she could have done as a human while holding Jasper's hand in hers.

End Flashback

Twenty years later

Chris was walking quickly down the street with his hands in the pocket of his jeans whistling when suddenly he caught sight of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen sitting on a bench in the park reading a book. His red eyes widened behind his sunglass clad eyes and he slowed his pace so he could get a better look at her. The girl appeared to be about the age he had been when he had been turned into a vampire or maybe a year or two older. She had brownish blond curly hair, eyes as green as emeralds, a pert nose, full lips that were neither to thin or to plump and freckles sprinkled across her nose and down her arms. Chris stared at her from behind his sunglasses entranced as he slowly walked into the park and sat on another bench that was on the opposite side from where the girl was sitting his errand for the moment forgotten. Finally the girl looked over in his direction as if sensing someone was watching her and Chris immediately looked away not wanting to be caught staring. Who was she? Why was he so intrigued? He had been attracted to other girls in the past but he had never had more than one date with any of them and yet here totally by accident while he was on his way to get Jasper a birthday present he had almost literally run into this girl who he couldn't quit looking at out of the corner of his eye.

What was so special about this girl? And why when he hadn't even officially met her did he want to protect her from whatever would hurt her?

He had better ask Jasper about this as Chris was sure he would know what was going on and why he felt as if he couldn't live without this girl whom he didn't even know the name of.

"Hello," said a soft voice next to his ear.

Chris looked up startled as he had been so lost in thought that he hadn't seen or heard anybody approach him. It was kind of surprising that anybody would approach him actually as he was not disguised as a human by his sister's power of illusion and so his skin had a corpselike pallor without the touch of the sun that would have made him look human.

"Hi," said Chris his voice a little breathless even though he tried to sound normal as the girl's delicious scent washed over him making it hard to control himself as he hadn't been prepared for it and for some reason he had more of an urge to bite her then he did any of the humans he made his meals. "Can I help you?"

"No, not really," said the girl shyly pushing a strand of long brownish blond hair behind her ear with one hand looking nervous while her other hand held an open book.

"Then what can I do for you Miss..." asked Chris leaving the sentence hanging hoping she would give him her name.

"Evelyn Lisa Alcott," answered the now named girl.

"Then what can I do for you Miss Evelyn?" asked Chris trying his best to play it cool.

Evelyn giggled at Chris's formality and said, "It's just Evelyn or Lyn, all my friends call me Lyn."

"Well then Lyn, it is a pleasure to meet you, I'm Christopher Swan, but you can call me Chris."  
Five years ago Jasper had decided it was time for a name change for Chris and Sofia as well as a move to a different location as they had been in Chicago for nearly thirteen years and before that they had been in Philadelphia. The name his parents had given him was Christoph but since it was a little unusual he told people that it was Christopher which meant the same thing. It was true they lived outside of the mainstream of society so not many people even knew they lived near town but it was better to change their last names every once in a while just to be safe. Jasper and Bella hadn't changed their last names this time around and kept using Whitlock simply because the story the four of them had come up with for all of them to use for the next few years was that Chris and Sofia had been adopted by the Whitlocks a few years ago after their parents had died in a car crash. Besides over a century ago Jasper had made sure that there were as few references as possible to him and Bella at all. He had made sure to erase as many records as he could find whether private or governmental just to make sure that no one would ever catch on that the Whitlocks were not what they seemed from computer records. Those few articles that he had found were a couple that Jasper had missed when he was doing his purge of records a hundred years ago. Oh Jasper and Bella were still listed in computers but what was there was what Jasper wanted to be there. For example all four of them had birth certificates, social security numbers, identifications, passports and visas under their real names as well as several different aliases in the appropriate computer systems so that they could travel and buy things since using credit nowadays instead of actual cash was the way things were in most parts of the world except for some of the more insulated places.

Chris stretched out his hand for a handshake and Lyn took it shaking it firmly just as a bee decided that the back of their clasped hands was a good place to land.

"Oh, a bee, I hate bees," said Lyn nervously as she stood stock still hoping that the bee would just decide to fly away and leave her alone. The bee apparently had decided that her and Chris's clasped hands was a good place to rest and it didn't look like it was going to move anytime soon.

A couple of minutes later the bee still hadn't flown away but had started walking back and forth along the top of their clasped hands.

"My arm is getting tired," said Lyn.

"Mine to," Chris agreed quickly although the truth of the matter was that he could hold his arm in this position for the next decade if he really wanted to since vampires didn't get things like sore or tired muscles.

"So what do we do?" asked Lyn looking nervously at the bee.

"Well, we'll just have to pull our hands apart and hope that the bee takes the hint and doesn't sting one of us."

The bee must be psychotic Chris silently decided for most all animals and insects avoided their kind and why this particular bee didn't sense what he was, was beyond him.

"Okay," Lyn said as she immediately started to slowly pull her hand out of Chris's all the time being as careful as if she was performing brain surgery.

When their hands were finally apart Chris immediately missed the warmth of Lyn's skin and the touch of her flesh against his.

"Go away," Lyn told the bee that was still perched on the side of her hand between her thumb and forefinger but the bee apparently didn't want to listen as it stayed right where it was even starting to walk back and forth along that section of Lyn's hand again not seeming at all bothered by the fact that half it's support was gone.

"I could try to get it to go away?" Chris suggested.

"How?" asked Lyn her arm starting to quiver with tiredness and added, "This is the strangest bee I have ever encountered as all the others if they landed on me stayed for just a few seconds and then flew away. This bee seems determined to stick around permanently."

"Here let me try to shoo it away," said Chris coming closer and started making shooing motions with his hands. "Go away you stupid bee and quit bothering Lyn."

Finally after several shooing attempts by Chris the bee seemed ready to finally leave it's perch on Lyn's hand and started moving it's wings as if getting ready to launch itself into the air to continue going about it's business. "Well finally!" exclaimed Lyn moving her arm aptly just as the bee looked like it was getting ready to take flight and the bee not liking the sudden movement extended it's stinger and drove it into Lyn's flesh causing her to squeal in pain before immediately taking flight and disappearing.

Chris immediately smelled the small drop of blood that welled up from the spot the bee had stung as they were less then six inches apart and instantly he felt a tug from somewhere deep inside his body. It was true that he had been attracted to Lyn from the second he had seen her but this tug that had appeared when the bee had stung Lyn was at least a thousand times stronger than his initial attraction. Chris stared at Lyn transfixed as if seeing her for the first time and didn't move for what seemed like forever his brain still struggling to figure out what had happened and why he now felt this tug from deep within his body.

Lyn meanwhile sucked on the spot the bee had stung until it had finally quit stinging. "Chris you okay?" asked Lyn finally looking up noticing that he hadn't moved at all in the last couple of minutes.

"I'm fine," said Chris immediately, recovering quickly and coming back from where he had been lost in shock. "I'm sorry the bee stung you and after all the trouble we went through to get rid of it."

"It's not your fault," Lyn told Chris. "I'm the one that moved so suddenly and I shouldn't have as I knew that would probably cause the bee to sting me but my arm was beginning to hurt from being outstretched for so long so I moved it faster than I should have."

"I'm still sorry," said Chris sounding genuinely contrite and remorseful having felt Lyn's pain as if it was his own. Even if it was just a stupid bee sting.

They both stared at each other for a few seconds neither saying anything and then Lyn decided to be brave and ask Chris for his talker number as she really liked him a lot and certainly more then her last boyfriend. Finally screwing up her courage Lyn began, nervously running a hand through her hair, "Well, Chris, I was just wondering what you were doing sitting over here all by yourself. I saw you enter the park you see and have been watching you for the last few minutes."

"Oh, I just thought I would come and just sit down for a few minutes," Chris said lying through his teeth as he wasn't about to tell Lyn that the reason he had come into the park in the first place was so he could stare at her and that he was for some reason strongly attracted to her. "I wasn't looking forward to entering the crowd at the mall and just thought to avoid it for a few minutes before I braved it."

"Why were you going to the mall?" asked Lyn. "It is a holiday weekend and this is not the best time to brave the crowds especially when it is obvious that you don't really want to."

"I came to get a gift for my brother for his birthday as it is tomorrow and I've already put it off for far longer then I should have. I hate going shopping and I usually just order whatever I need online but I couldn't do that this time as I want it to be a surprise and it wouldn't be if it was delivered to the house."

"So you are going to brave the crowds just to get your brother a birthday gift?" asked Lyn her amusement clear in her green eyes.

"Yes and I suppose I had better get to it," Chris said with a downcast expression and a sigh.

Lyn giggled, the bee sting forgotten, at Chris's expression and Chris smiled a little for he thought that she had a very pretty laugh. "Will I see you again?" asked Lyn nervousness radiating from her.

"Sure if you want to," said Chris trying not to let on how much the prospect of seeing Lyn again excited him. "Why don't we exchange wrist talker numbers and we can call each other sometime."

"Sure," said Lyn. "I really like you a lot Chris and I was not expecting to meet a nice, tall dark haired stranger when I came out to the park to read my book. It must be my lucky day."

"And here I thought it was my lucky day as I wasn't expecting to meet a gorgeous girl today either," Chris said with a grin that lit up his whole face.

Lyn blushed at Chris's compliment beyond pleased that he thought she was gorgeous. Her last boyfriend had never complimented her, did his best to get into her pants as often as possible and to top it off had turned out to be an abusive asshole that had tried his best to beat her to death when she displeased him no matter the reason. She had put up with it for a while thinking she loved him and then it was only a few months later that she had caught Gerold cheating on her with another woman. It had been that incident that had woken her the fuck up and she had immediately broken it off no matter how much he had begged, pleaded, threatened or said how sorry he was and that it would never happen again which Lyn hadn't believed for a second made her change her mind. There was an old saying after all and it went like this: Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. In other words if he cheated on her once then he would do it again. Besides why would she go back to someone who did nothing but belittle her, insult her and hit her leaving her black and blue? Why she had stayed with him for so long was now a mystery. Besides he had put her in the hospital where she had very nearly died just because she refused to take him back after she had caught him in bed with another woman.

"Thanks for the compliment and I'll be waiting for your call," said Lyn after Chris had given her his talker number and she had given him hers in return.

"You're welcome, but now I really must be going if I am going to get that present for Jasper for his birthday before the stores close." said Chris with a grin as he rose from the bench he had been sitting on.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Lyn and believe me I'll be calling you sometime in the next few days. I didn't expect to have such a pleasant encounter when I came into town to get a gift for Jasper but I'm glad I decided to come today or I might not have met you otherwise. You have just made my week."

"You're welcome," said Lyn with a smile as she watched Chris walk away and head in the direction of the mall that was just a block or so away.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"Jasper can I talk to you...alone?" Chris said. It was just after he had gotten back from buying Jasper's birthday present and he had just put it in his room.

"Of course, Chris, why don't we go to my study," Jasper suggested after reading Chris's emotions of suppressed excitement, anxiety and happiness. The study was the perfect place to have a private conversation as it was soundproofed and even a vampire couldn't hear through soundproofing unless they were standing right outside the door.

"So what's on your mind?" asked Jasper as soon as they had entered the study and Chris had shut the door behind him.

Chris sat in one of the chairs that was in front of Jasper's desk and seemed to be trying to find the words in order to begin. "I don't really know where to start."

"Why don't you start at the beginning?" Jasper suggested gently sending the man he thought of as a son some calm in order to override the sudden nervousness he was feeling.

"It was the strangest thing..." Chris began and then told Jasper all about his encounter with the girl Evelyn Lisa Alcott.

"You say that you felt this pull from inside your body when Evelyn got the bee sting and she bled?" asked Jasper keeping his voice calm and controlled so that Chris wouldn't see how excited he was at the news.

"It was only a drop of blood and yet the minute I smelled it I felt this pull. It was the strangest thing and it had me standing stock still, not even breathing until Lyn asked me if I was okay."

"Chris, you have just met the woman you are supposed to spend your existence with," said Jasper calmly.

"You mean...?" asked Chris a looking so astonished that Jasper had a hard time controlling his laughter.

"Yes that pull you felt when you smelled that drop of blood means you are mates," Jasper clarified. "You remember me telling you about how I knew Bella was my mate?"

Chris nodded.

"Well this is the exact same thing. Of course I liked Bella a lot even before she got that paper cut, but I figured it was just infatuation, you know forbidden fruit and all that."

Chris nodded again still seeming to shocked to actually say anything.

"And didn't you just tell me that you liked Evelyn from the moment you first saw her even though at the time you didn't even know who she was?"

"Yes, yes, I did," said Chris seeming to slowly be coming out of his shock.

"Well there you go," said Jasper trying not to laugh at his son's still shocked expression.

"Really?" asked Chris still looking so surprised that Jasper again had to force himself not to laugh again as he didn't want to hurt Chris's feelings.

"Yes, really," said Jasper amusement lacing his voice despite his best effects to prevent it.

"This pull I felt was almost pulling me in her direction demanding I bite her and make her mine," Chris said slowly. "I realize now that it was my inner demon that was demanding that I bite her as it probably recognized that we were mates even if the human part of me did not until you said what you did which made me recognize that was what the pull I have been feeling since I met Lyn meant. My inner demon was demanding that I protect her with my life as it could not continue to exist without her and that was why I immediately felt so protective of her. At the time I didn't know why I was feeling so protective of a girl I'd just met but now it makes a weird kind of sense. I'm not sure though if Lyn felt it or not as she was busy sucking the spot where the psychotic bee stung her."

"Yes that's it exactly," said Jasper beyond pleased that Chris had not only had enough will power to not bite the girl immediately but that he had recognized the fact that it was his inner demon that had wanted it and not the human part of him. It wasn't that Chris didn't want to make the girl into a vampire but the human part of him at least wanted to get to know Evelyn a little before revealing the world of vampires to her. Jasper internally winced at the thought of the girl's reaction when she found out that the boy she really, really liked as well as his family were vampires who fed off human blood even if it was just criminals. He was not looking forward in the least to that particular conversation but also knew that it would have to eventually be done if Chris was going to have a chance at happiness or even to continue in this existence. Jasper was also glad that Chris had enough control to not give into his instincts, which he knew from experience were hard to ignore, and bitten her in a very public park where someone would have more then likely seen him do it. They would have had to leave the area immediately and probably go underground for a time until the furor died down if that had happened. Luckily that hadn't happened as Chris had enough control over his demon to make that step not necessary. At least for now, the pessimistic part of him pointed out.

"Well I suppose it's a good thing I got her talker number then," said Chris trying to sound calm but the excitement, nervousness, protectiveness and love he was feeling for Lyn got into his voice making his calmness go out the window.

"You realize of course that you will eventually have to tell her what you are and let her make the choice as to whether or not she wants to be turned into a vampire. I'm actually surprised that your inner demon didn't force you to bite her immediately so you could be together. I know I had trouble not biting Bella when I first discovered that we were mates and I had many more years of experience in controlling my demon then you do. In vampire years you are still considered quite young."

"How am I supposed to tell someone that I am a vampire? One of the undead? Beings who are supposed to be nothing more then myths and legends and who drinks the blood of humans for a living? Most of the world doesn't believe in supernatural creatures despite the fact that we now have alien species visiting earth on a regular basis."

"It might be best if you bring her here when you do decide to tell her what you are," Jasper suggested calmly his military mind working overtime going though all the possible scenarios of what could happen when Evelyn was told what they were and that she now had two choices. "That way she can't do something stupid and decide to try to tell someone that she is dating a vampire," Jasper added. "I know it isn't likely anybody will believe her but you never know even today what people will believe."

"What if she can't accept that vampires are real?" asked Chris worriedly.

"We'll cross that bridge when and if we come to it, but you know our laws as well as I do and you know that once she knows what we are, we either have to kill her or turn her into one of our kind and I don't want to have to kill her as I know what that will do to you. I still shudder every time I think about the fact that Bella nearly died from jumping out that fourth floor window and that was over a hundred and twenty-five years ago."

"Yes, I see what you mean," said Chris wincing at the thought of Lyn dying. "I already feel protective of her and we barely know anything about each other except our names."

"That's the mating bond at work," said Jasper knowingly. "It will continue to get stronger the more you are around her and get to know her. The same thing happened between Bella and me when we first discovered we were mates. Eventually you will be unable to be more then a couple of hundred miles apart or you will feel as if your soul is being torn out of your body."

"Just thinking about her is causing me to want to be near her even if she doesn't know it. Also I can't seem to get her off my mind," Chris admitted.

"Wanting to be near her and thinking about her constantly is a normal part of the mating bond," said Jasper. "I'm sure Evelyn is thinking about you to but to her it will just seem like a crush on a handsome boy at least at first. Bella told me once years ago that even when she was human she felt the pull of the mating bond even though it was faint and almost nonexistent when she was human but once she was turned..."

"It was like going barely knowing it was there to being buried in an avalanche," Chris suggested.

"That is a good comparison," Jasper agreed and sent Chris his pride which caused Chris's ruby eyes to light up at the unspoken compliment. He then added, "Even though she felt the pull as a human it was so faint that it could have been easily broken from her end if she had wanted to or not even noticed at all, but once she was a vampire the pull was so powerful that it is almost impossible to break, except by death."

"You know I'm astonished that Lyn even approached me at all since I wasn't under any of Sofia's illusions that make me look human. She must be a very brave individual to actually come and talk to me as most humans avoid us," said Chris.

"That was more than likely the mating bond at work as well," Jasper said. "It made her brave enough to actually walk over and talk to you even if she doesn't know that is the cause. For her, as she is human, it would be normal to think that she is attracted to you just because you are handsome or as she would be attracted to any handsome boy."

"Oh," said Chris looking thoughtful.

"You realize of course that you are going to probably have to eat at least a few times, while you are dating her," said Jasper not managing to hold back his laughter at the look on Chris's face when he said that.

"Do I have to?" Chris almost whined.

"I'm afraid you probably will as she will expect you to take her out to dinner at least once if not more and then there is popcorn or candy at the movies. That was one of the big mistakes that Bella and I made when we were just becoming friends with you and your sister you know. We should have gone out to eat with you a few times even if we would have had to throw it up later."

"Well that and the brown contact lenses," Chris laughed as he remembered then he sobered again as he thought about the fact that he had a long, hard road ahead of him. It was going to take everything he had to get Lyn to believe that vampire's existed and once he passed that hurdle he would have to get her to believe that he and his family were not evil for drinking human blood.

"I won't lie to you Chris, you have a long hard road ahead of you," said Jasper in an uncanny echo of his thoughts.

"I know," said Chris seriously. "Would you change Lyn into a vampire even without her permission?"

"Yes," said Jasper immediately. "Even if she would hate me for it I would do it for I've seen several vampires meet their ends after they lost their mates and I don't want the same thing to happen to you. It is almost impossible to live without your mate once you have found them, especially after you have marked them by biting them."

"Do you know a vampire who has lived after having lost their mate?" asked Chris.

"Just one," said Jasper soberly.

"Who?" asked Chris curiously.

"Marcus, of the Volturi. I believe though that the only reason he didn't follow his mate into death is because of the bond he had with his two brother's Aro and Caius. I also believe that if the bond had been of a weaker nature that he would have died."

Chris winced at Jasper's words but knowing deep down that they were true. Besides Jasper had never lied to him and always told him and Sofia the truth no matter how much or how little either of them wanted to hear it.

"I suppose I had better start making some plans then about where I want to take her on or dates," said Chris with a sigh.

"I can help you with that if you want and I'm sure Bella would be delighted to help out as well," Jasper suggested a little tentatively as he didn't want Chris to get all mad at him and think that he was trying to control his life.

"Would you?" asked Chris appreciatively. "I would really appreciate it if and Bella would help me plan at least the first few dates preferably having nothing to do with food if at all possible."

"Avoiding places that have food is not going to work for very long," Jasper warned him with a smirk although it was also obvious that he was dead serious. "It might work for the first few dates but after that she is going to start getting suspicious."

"I know," said Chris with a sigh. "I suppose I am going to just have to plan to eat food that I know is going to taste like shit and probably be even worse coming back up." Chris still remembered when Jasper had told him about how he had to drink a beer in order to keep up appearances and how it had tasted like battery acid going down and how it was even worse coming back up.

"It all depends on what it is," Jasper said seriously. "If you get steak for instance make sure you get it as rare as you can and it won't be so bad coming back up. "Also hide as much as you can in a napkin or a handkerchief that you keep in your hand under the table and then put it in a pocket when you are done eating. You can then make up an excuse to use the restroom and dispose of it without her being the wiser."

"I will still have to eat a little though," said Chris with a grimace.

"Yes you will but I'm afraid that can't be helped."

"No I guess not," said Chris with distaste coloring his voice. "You were so lucky when you realized Bella and you were mates as she already knew about vampires and so you didn't have to eat."

"Yes I was lucky and in more ways then one," Jasper agreed softly his voice full of love as he thought about his mate and wife of a hundred and twenty-five years. "I was lucky that she accepted the fact that vampires were real without the disbelief that most people would feel when their preconceived notions that the supernatural wasn't anything more then fantasy with little fuss. I suppose it helped that Edward saved her from that van and that he had to use vampire speed in order to get there in time to push her out of the way. Even trying to dazzle her into believing that she was mistaken about Edward being on the opposite side of the parking lot from where she was didn't work as she refused to think that she had been mistaken." Jasper chuckled as he remembered that incident and how he had immediately wanted to kill her as he had seen her as a threat to his family's safety in particular and to the vampire world in general and of course that had been before he had met her, I person and immediately been attracted to her. He was glad now that Alice, Esme and Carlisle had talked him out of it or he never would have been as happy as he had been for the last a hundred and twenty-six years.

"I suppose I had better go and tell Sofia what we have been talking about," said Chris. "Besides maybe she can help as I don't remember dating much when I was human and when I did date we just usually went to the local pizza place or the movies, but since I can't eat anymore the local pizza place is out."

"You could still do that you know," said Jasper. "You would just have to practice not at not making faces at the taste and then of course you would have to cough it up later."

"We'll see," said Chris looking noncommittal.

"One thing you need to make absolutely sure of before you do go on a date is to make sure you are well fed beforehand. I know that mates are not supposed to harm each other but I've always thought that it is stupid to take chances and besides just because Evelyn is probably safe from you doesn't mean the rest of the human population is."

"That's a good suggestion," admitted Chris. "I'll make sure I eat first before I see Lyn again. You're right in the fact that I don't want to take chances with her safety."

"Now you had better go find your sister," said Jasper.

"Alright," Chris agreed sounding calmer then he had been earlier when he had first entered the house. Chris rose from his chair and gave Jasper a hug before opening the study door and disappearing.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"This is great!" Sofia exclaimed as soon as Chris had told his sister what had happened to him on the way to get Jasper a birthday present. "It will be nice to have another woman around to do things with."

"Let's not jump the gun here, sis," Chris cautioned. "I have a long road ahead of me and quite a few obstacles to overcome before you'll have another sister. Just because you and I figured out that vampire's were real and accepted that our two friends were bloodsucker's does not mean that Lyn will take the news as calmly as we did."

"You know what will have to happen if she doesn't take the news well," said Sofia instantly sobering as she thought about her brother's words.

"I know the laws of the vampire world as well as you do, sis," said Chris. "Jasper also reminded me about our laws, not that I needed reminding or anything. Its either be turned into a vampire once you know our kind exists or death."

"So what are you going to do if she refuses to be turned into a vampire?" asked Sofia.

"Well, I haven't really figured that out yet," Chris admitted. "Jasper has already said that he is willing to turn her into one of our kind without her consent because he has seen several vampires deliberately find a way to meet their ends after they lost their mates and he doesn't want the same thing to happen to me."

"He would know about that kind of thing," said Sofia sobering even more. "He has after all told us often enough how he would find a way to kill himself if he lost Bella. Remember how he explained the mating bond to us and how your feelings just get deeper and deeper the more time you spend around your mate and that is especially true once you have marked each other."

"I know, I remember when he told us that, which is why I'm hoping this thing with Lyn works out." said Chris.

"It had better," said Sofia empathically, "as I don't want to lose my brother."

"Try not to worry to much," Chris told her giving his sister a hug. "It will work out."

"Let's hope so," Sofia muttered quietly not being able to help the worry that she felt for her twin.

Flashback

"You know what's funny," said Bella as she sat between her husband's legs leaning back against his chest.

"Funny as is ha ha or funny as in strange?" asked Jasper as he and Bella sat on top of the highest peaks in the Jura mountains which wasn't to far from their home, well for vampires at least. The Jura mountains weren't really all that high as mountains went as they were only 1,720 meters high or 5,643 feet at their highest point which was named Le Crêt de la Neige. There were also hiking, cycling and skiing but they had found this spot a month ago that didn't look or smell like any humans had been anywhere near the area for a long time so now they came up here to just be alone. It was several weeks later and it was now the end of December and therefore the end of their celebrations for the year.

"Funny as in strange," said Bella.

"So what's strange?" asked Jasper sending her his curiosity.

"Well, ever since I was changed into a vampire it's been like a whirlwind and actually before that. I've often wondered if everything in my life before I met a bunch of vegetarian vampires was leading up to that point, if perhaps I was supposed to meet you if not when I moved to Forks then later." Bella seemed contemplative for a moment. "Maybe we would have met in college if things hadn't happened the way they had."

"You're not regretting the fact that you did meet a bunch of vampires, found out we were mates and got changed into one are you?" asked Jasper just a little anxiously although he tried not to let it show.

"No, of course not," Bella assured him seeming to pick up on his anxiety despite the fact that he tried not to project or let it enter his voice. Bella turned around from where she was sitting in between his legs and gave him a kiss. "You are the most important person in my life and I could never regret for even one instant that we met and found out we were mated. The reason I brought the subject up is that it just seems weird to me that not only do I find out that mythological creatures are not only real and living amongst the humans who are largely unaware of their existence but that I am supposed to become and be mated to one. I just find it kind of ironic that is all."

"Well I always thought, even though a certain person tried to keep me away from you, that you were meant to one of my kind," said Jasper relieved that she didn't regret meeting a bunch of vegetarian vampires, finding out she was supposed to be the mate of one, or becoming one herself. "It isn't many people that can find out that vampires are real and not just legends and not either think that they are having a nervous breakdown and therefore imagining things or run away."

Bella laughed at her husband's words and Jasper was more then happy to hear the sound of his mate's laughter ringing out over the mountain, echoing.

Jasper's lips twitched a time or two but he didn't laugh as he didn't want to cause an avalanche by adding his laughter to that of his mate's. "You know you probably shouldn't laugh up here," said Jasper only partly seriously because he absolutely delighted in the sound of his wife's laughter and it wasn't like an avalanche would actually cause them any permanent damage. "We not only wouldn't want to alert the humans that anybody was up here, since we didn't bring the proper equipment to make it look like we climbed up here like regular humans, we wouldn't want to cause an avalanche."

"It's not like an avalanche would actually cause us harm," Bella said in an uncanny echo of her mate's thoughts.

"That's true enough, but we would have Search and Rescue people trying to find anybody who might have been caught in a snow spill. Dogs would then be brought out and some are trained to rescue people by sniffing around for a scent to see if anybody was buried. We would then have quite a bit of trouble escaping from them although it would of course be no more than an annoyance. Besides there are other things I'd rather be doing with my time and they do not include being chased by a pack of animals and their human handlers."

"I thought animals were afraid of us," said Bella her lips twitching at Jasper's description.

"Most of them are, but I have come across a few in my years that seem to be a lot like you and have no sense of self-preservation."

Bella laughed at that although she tried to keep it down as she didn't really want to start an avalanche because Jasper was right and that was a possibility.

"And I can of course use my talent on then so that they are not afraid," Jasper added.

"I'll have you know I do so have a sense of self-preservation, but I also have a sense that tells me when someone means me harm and that sense never went off around any of the Cullens and that includes Edward."

"Which ought to tell you that your danger sense is not perfect," said Jasper with a smirk.

"Or it could just mean that when Edward and I first started dating he really didn't mean me any harm and it was only after I broke up with him that he went insane."

"I think it wasn't so much that you broke up with him but that you did so you could be with me," said Jasper seriously. "You know that Edward never did like me, not from the very first moment and I believe that had you broken up with him and started dating someone like Mike Newton he probably would have let you go."

Bella considered that then nodded. "Yes, that makes sense. He probably saw it as a betrayal, dumping him so I could be with you, his own brother, even if he hated you."

"You know what else is funny in a strange kind of way?"

"What?" asked Jasper sending Bella his curiosity.

"Well I never thought I would enjoy torturing people, whether human or vampire and yet I really enjoyed torturing Edward and also that woman who kidnapped Senator Littlefield's son."

"Let's not forget the two sister's and their accountant we tortured that owned all those whorehouses and sold thousands of children into slavery," said Jasper.

"Yes, I really enjoyed torturing those three I only wish I could have prolonged it. To sell so many children into slavery and then have them raped again and again just so they could get rich makes me sick, metaphorically speaking of course. My point is though if I was still human I never would have even thought about doing something like that."

"There is a great streak of violence in every human being. If it is not channeled and understood, it will break out in war or in madness," Jasper quoted. "Those words were said by Sam Peckinpah who was a writer for t.v. shows like Gunsmoke, Have Gun – Will Travel, The Rifleman, Broken Arrow and Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater. His writing led to directing and he directed a 1958 episode of Broken Arrow and several 1960 episodes of Klondike and several others.

"In 1958, Peckinpah wrote a script for Gunsmoke that was rejected due to content. He reworked the screenplay, titled The Sharpshooter, and sold it to Zane Grey Theater. The episode received popular response and became the television series The Rifleman, starring Chuck Connors. Peckinpah directed four episodes of the series with guest stars R. G. Armstrong and Warren Oates, but left after the first year. The Rifleman ran for five seasons and achieved enduring popularity in syndication.

"During this time, he also created the television series The Westerner, starring Brian Keith and John Dehner. From 1959 to 1960, Peckinpah acted as producer of the series, having a hand in the writing of each episode and directing five of them. Critically praised, the show ran for only 13 episodes before cancellation mainly due to its gritty content detailing the drifting, laconic cowboy Dave Blassingame who was played by Brian Keith. Despite its short run, The Westerner and Peckinpah were nominated by the Producers Guild of America for Best Filmed Series. An episode of the series eventually served as the basis for Tom Gries' 1968 film Will Penny. The Westerner, which has since achieved cult status, further established Peckinpah as a talent to be reckoned with.

"After cancellation of The Westerner, Brian Keith was cast as the male lead in the 1961 Western film The Deadly Companions. He suggested Peckinpah as the director and producer Charles B. Fitzsimons accepted the idea. By most accounts, the low-budget film shot on location in Arizona was a learning process for Peckinpah, who feuded with Fitzsimons, who was the brother of the film's star Maureen O'Hara, over the screenplay and staging of the scenes. Reportedly, Fitzsimons refused to allow Peckinpah to give direction to O'Hara. Unable to rewrite the screenplay or edit the picture, Peckinpah vowed to never again direct a film unless he had script control. The Deadly Companions passed largely without notice and is the least known of Peckinpah's films.

"After that he worked on quite a few others but since they always dealt with issues like drug abuse or alcoholism a lot of his films are even today still controversial."

"How is it you seem to know an appropriate quote for just about anything and the history behind the person who said it?" asked Bella rhetorically her lips twitching.

They were both silent for a while neither needing to speak at all as they sat comfortably together Jasper with his chin resting on the top of Bella's head and his arms around her middle holding her to his chest where she fit perfectly as if that was where she was meant to be.

"You know what I've come to realize?" asked Bella after more than an hour of silence.

"What?" asked Jasper curiously.

"That we all have violence in our souls and no I'm not just talking about vampires but humans as well. It's just like I told the three kings all those months ago that violence is part of the human race if it wasn't why would they need cops, or the military? In any case my point is that even as a human I had violence in my soul even if I never let it out. In the short time fuckwad and I were dating there were at least a dozen occasions where I wanted to just punch him in the nose for treating me like some kind of puppet with him as the puppeteer. Now as a vampire that is even more true which is one of the reasons I enjoy torturing people that deserve it whether they be human or vampire so much."

"Yes, I felt those emotions, darlin' and I would have been more then happy to disassemble him and burn the pieces for you," said Jasper his lips twitching sending his wife his humor.

"If you had Carlisle and Esme would have been very upset with you and probably thrown you out of the family and then we might not ever have discovered we were mates," said Bella.

"Alice would also have been pretty upset with me to as she had Edward were close right up until her death but I still would have done it and Rosalie especially would have cheered me on," said Jasper with a sardonic grin as he imagined that scenario.

"Well despite what happened with him I am glad things happened the way they did for we might never have discovered we were meant to be together otherwise," said Bella leaning into her mate's chest perfectly comfortable and content and would have been happy to remain right where she was for the next hundred years.

"Yes I am happy, no make that ecstatic that we met and I realized we were meant to be together. I had been searching for the person I was supposed to spend eternity with for over sixty-five years at that point, almost as long as I was with the Cullens for I wanted what Carlisle and Esme had or Emmett and Rosalie or Peter and Char. Carlisle and Esme died holding each other once they realized they couldn't escape the fire. The only thing I regret about their deaths is the fact that they probably realized before they died that it was probably Edward who was responsible as he was the only one who had a reason to get revenge. Both of them, despite having trouble changing with the times were very intelligent, although if they did realize it would have been better if they never had. If it had been me I wouldn't have wanted to know at my last moments that my son was the one responsible for not only my death but that of my mate's as well."

"And Alice's," Bella reminded him.

"And Alice's," Jasper agreed, "Although it's possible that Carlisle and Esme didn't realize that she died as well and in fact that is the likely scenario as the fire would have turned them to ash first since they were on the first floor and Alice was on the fourth."

They were both silent for a while just sitting comfortably holding each other and watching as the sun set.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

"You know what I'd really like to learn now that I am no longer clumsy?" asked Bella as they sat in a lounge chair beside their pool. When they had taken a tour of the place after they had christened the bed Bella had discovered that not only did they have a heated pool in a separate building that was behind the house, but they also had a jacuzzi, sauna whirlpool and several other things that were meant for relaxing making Bella shake her head trying not to imagine what all this had cost. It was the next day after they had come back from their private spot on the Jura mountain.

It was the middle of the afternoon and very sunny out so therefore it wasn't safe for them to go outside so they sat by the pool after having just taken a dip in it and now they lay together with Bella's head on Jasper's chest.

"What?" asked Jasper.

"Skiing," Bella answered, "and we are right here in Switzerland which supposedly has some of the best skiing in the world."

"That's true enough and I can teach you it that's what you want," said Jasper.

"You know how to ski?" asked Bella eagerly.

"Oh yes, I went with the Cullens several times over the years to places in America but not in Switzerland. All the Cullens took to it especially the men of the family and that includes Carlisle."

"Why am I not surprised?" asked Bella dryly. "It seems anything having to do with speed is something vampires enjoy."

"Some resorts also have snowboarding, sledding and other various winter related activities," Jasper added not answering Bella's comment as he couldn't really say anything since he knew she was right as every vampire he was close to enjoyed speed and that included Rosalie, Emmett, Peter and Char and now Bella.

"Snowboarding," said Bella her eyes lighting up. "I would love to try that."

"If that's what you want we shall," Jasper promised.

"I would also love to learn to surf and I've also always wanted to try windsurfing," Bella added.

"There are a lot of extreme sports that you can try now, if you want," said Jasper.

"That's true enough," Bella mused. "Stuff I never would have dared try as a human as clumsy as I was and we have an eternity in which to do them."

The sat in silence for a while and then Jasper asked, "How about swimming in the pool?"

"Sounds good cowboy," said Bella rising from where she was laying. "I'll race you there."

Jasper rose and they both raced each other to where the pool was both diving in at the same time both holding their breaths and swimming underwater chasing each other and this was how they spent the next couple of hours just playing.

End Flashback

Two days later which was the day after Jasper's birthday Chris dialed Lyn's number where it was answered on the second ring.

"Chris?" Lyn questioned as soon as she had picked up.

"Yes, Lyn," Chris answered trying to conceal the excitement that had crept into his voice.

"I didn't think you were ever going to call," said Lyn sounding happy that he had.

"Sorry we had a small family celebration or Jasper's birthday yesterday and so this is the first opportunity I've had to call you."

"Oh," said Lyn finally understanding.

"I was wondering if you would like to go out on a date with me," said Chris trying to not let the uncertainty he was feeling show up in his voice.

"I'd love to," said Lyn her voice brimming with excitement.

Chris breathed an almost silent sigh of relief and then said, "Well in that case I will pick you up in an hour."

"Where will we be going?" asked Lyn and Chris had hung around his sister and Bella long enough to know that Lyn had asked because she wanted to know what to wear.

"Well, since it is a first date I thought we could just go to the movies."

"Uh okay," said Lyn sounding a little disappointed. "What movie will we be seeing?"

"Well it depends on what kind of movie you want to see," Chris answered. "Romance, action, adventure, sci-fi, fantasy or comedy."

"You would be will to go to a romantic movie with me?" asked Lyn the astonishment plain in her voice.

"Why not?" asked Chris just preventing himself from shrugging as Lyn could not see him. "I've been with my sister and my brother's wife often enough. Going to another one won't kill me if that is what you want to see." Chris wasn't about to admit, at least right now that he enjoyed a good romantic movie unlike most guys.

"Chris, you really are one of a kind," said Lyn her voice filled with awe. "I've never met a man that will willingly admit that he will go see a romantic movie without having to be dragged kicking and screaming by either his wife or his girlfriend. Most men or boys would rather be shot dead then admit that they enjoy a romantic movie."

"So I'm not most guys," said Chris.

"I think I am beginning to realize that," said Lyn. "Anyway I had better go so I can get ready. I'll see you in an hour," she added giving Chris her address before hanging up.

~~~Jasper and Bella~~~

Five hours later Chris finally arrived home where Sofia immediately removed Chris's disguise as she had changed his eyes to hazel and given his skin the a slight flush before he had left.

"So how did your date go?" asked Bella as soon as Chris was back to normal.

"It was great," said Chris enthusiastically. "I picked Lyn up at her apartment where she was already waiting for me and ready to go. I met her male roommate, whose name is Asher by the way, who seems like a nice guy and assured me that he thinks of Lyn like a sister as they have been best friends since they were little. Since his heartbeat didn't speed up nor did his body language indicate he was lying he had to be telling the truth."

Over the years Jasper had taught Chris and Sofia how to tell when someone was lying just like he had taught Bella all those years ago and there was more ways for a vampire to detect a lie then a human. Humans could tell if someone was lying through body language and sometimes even how they spoke. Vampires could tell by those things as well but could also detect a change in a human's heartbeat as well as smell the change in their blood that came when one of them told a lie.

"So your Lyn lives with a male roommate?" asked Bella.

"Yes," said Chris. "We chatted for just a minute while Lyn got her purse. He seems to genuinely adore Lyn as a big sister as she is a couple of years older. I don't think it will be to hard to be friends with him as well."

"What are you going to do about him when you do tell Evelyn about vampires?" asked Jasper. "A close friendship like that will be hard to lose and will be almost, but not quite, as bad as losing a mate."

"As you know Jacob and I were close friends before he was killed," said Bella looking sad when she mentioned her friend. "I had known him all my life. I know I only saw him when I went up to visit my father but even after all this time I still miss him. If this Asher and your Lyn are like Jake and I were it will be just as tough on her to lose her best friend as it was on me. It's true he will still be alive but she'll never be able to see him again once she is turned for no one can know that she lives or find out what she has become."

"I don't know what I'm going to do about him," said Chris genuinely remorseful at the thought of separating two such close friends. If it was hard on Bella to lose the closest thing that she had had to a best friend then it would be twice as bad for Lyn who was even closer to Asher then Bella had been to Jacob.

"We will have to decide what to do about Asher preferably before you tell Lyn what you are," said Jasper decidedly.

"So what movie did you see?" asked Sofia.

Chris named a romantic comedy that was popular in the theaters right now.

"Was it good?" asked Bella. "I've been wanting to see it but something always seems to come up when I decide to go."

"I thought it was very good," Chris admitted a little sheepishly exceedingly glad that he couldn't blush anymore. Enjoying a good romance movie was one of his guilty little pleasures one that the rest of his family found very amusing. Chris hadn't even tried to keep it a secret as it was almost impossible to keep a secret in a house full of vampires with super sensitive hearing. "The movie had just the right amount of romance without being to mushy and just enough comedy to make it funny without being corny."

"I really am going to have to go see that as it sounds right up my alley," said Bella musingly.

"What did you do after that as you were gone a long time for it to be just a movie," asked Jasper.

"Well I thought she might enjoy going to the skating rink after the movie was over so I suggested it and she agreed that it would be the perfect way to spend a couple of hours and so that is what we did."

"So when are you planning on telling that you are not quite what you seem?" asked Bella.

"It won't be for at least a few months as right now we are just at the stage of getting to know one another," said Chris.

"I wouldn't let to much time pass if I was you. If you do and then you tell her she could react worse thinking that you kept it from her for to long and that you lied to her, then learning that vampires are real," said Bella.

"Or she could even figure it out on her own, just like you did," suggested Jasper meaning Bella.

Bella snorted, "I doubt that, cowboy, as vampires are even more myths today then they were in the late twentieth century. Today they are thought to be nothing more then fictional creations based off old legends."

"True enough, but you know as well as I do that some humans have a way of seeing the truth. Give someone enough evidence that you are different and they will eventually figure it out if they are at all observant," said Jasper. "In other words Evelyn is going to eventually notice all the odd little things about you with all the time you plan on spending with her."

"And as much as you will try to act human, you aren't and she is eventually going to notice how cold your skin always is or how you walk like someone who is stalking prey or how little you eat when you go to a restaurant. All these little oddities separately don't really mean much but when you add them all up..." said Bella her voice trailing off. "No matter how careful you are at acting human eventually..."

"I know, but right at this moment we've only just had our first date so I don't think we need to worry about it quite so soon."

"Probably not," Jasper agreed, "but in another month we need to visit this subject again and in the meantime we need to keep it in the back of our minds so that maybe even when we aren't consciously thinking about it we can come up with some ideas on how to handle this situation. We also need to be prepared to move at a moment's notice so make sure you keep your favorite things in a bag along with a couple of changes of clothes and money just in case we have to leave in a hurry. It's just a precaution," Jasper added as he saw his family's expressions, "but it's better to be prepared to move quickly if we need to."

"What if we do have to leave on a moment's notice?" asked Chris his expression pained. "Does that mean we leave Lyn behind?"

"No that means we kidnap her and take her with us," said Jasper looking resolute. "That isn't my favorite option but if it we do have to flee for whatever reason you would insist on staying here in order to protect her if she wasn't with us and besides I doubt you will be able to be more then a few miles apart by that time as the mating bond will naturally continue to deepen the more time you spend around her. At least when she is a vampire and you are both marked you will be able to be a little further apart if necessary," Jasper told Chris.

"Even then though you wouldn't be able to be more then a couple of hundred miles apart," said Bella, "and no it doesn't matter one iota that she is human right now," she added seeing the twins expressions. "I still remember how I felt when Jasper had to go hunting. I felt bereft, like I had lost my best friend and he didn't even go very far."

"And back then she was still human as the whole Edward thing hadn't happened yet, so just think how much stronger the bond will be once she is changed," said Jasper his cool, analytical mind working at vampire speed trying to work out all the possibilities and scenarios for the current situation.

"Emotions are at least five times stronger as a vampire," said Sofia vaguely remembering that her feelings as a human hadn't been half as strong as once she had been changed.

"Exactly," said Jasper.

"Well there's no point of discussing it any further right now so if you don't mind I'm going to go get me a shower," said Chris rising from his seat on the couch.

"When are you going to bring her to meet us?" asked Bella looking at Chris questioningly.

"I don't know," said Chris. "Maybe in a couple of weeks."  
"Just make sure you give us some advanced warning so that we can to act human and so Sofia can disguise us," said Jasper.

"And so we have all hunted beforehand just so we don't attack her on accident," Sofia suggested.

"A good suggestion, Sofia," Jasper approved with a smile on his lips, warmth and pride in his red eyes which made Sofia feel warm all over causing her to glow at the compliment as she knew that Jasper never gave words of praise unless they were earned.

"I'll give you at least a day of warning," Chris promised.

"I suppose I had better go shopping for groceries," said Bella her expression disgusted at the thought of having to eat. "We will all probably have to eat with her at least once before she is told what we are."

"Now that is not my idea of fun," Sofia muttered the disgust evident in her tone. "I seem to remember having loved eating when I was human, anything chocolate in particular, but that was then and this is now."

"You already cook on a regular basis," Jasper pointed out to his wife.

"Yes, but I don't eat any of it. I do it so I have something to pass the time and what I do cook gets donated to various shelters around the city."

"Which have made a lot of organizations that run those shelters happy," said Chris with a grin as a lot of the time the house was filled with the smell of baking cookies, cakes, pies, cupcakes and sometimes even things like roast beef, chicken, pork or other meats. The one thing that Bella refused to cook was anything that had tomato sauce as she said that it smelled disgusting and the smell permeated the whole house lingering for weeks making the place almost unlivable until the smell dissipated and since a vampire's nose was much more acute they could all still smell tomato sauce in the air for a lot longer then a human.

"Back to the subject at hand," said Jasper bringing the rest of the family back to the current problem.

All four of them continued to discuss the problem until they all felt that they had at least a basic strategy and several contingency plans worked out in case of emergency. They also planned where they would take Lyn where no one would look for her in the event that they had to kidnap her for whatever reason and tried to come up with a plan as to what kind of accident to stage so that no one would look for her when she did disappear.

"I think we've made some good progress on planning for the current situation," said Jasper pleased a couple of hours later. "We have at least at basic strategy worked out and several contingency plans outlined."

"And I hope we don't have to use any of them," said Chris with a sigh looking a little down. "I don't want Lyn to resent me for kidnapping her and I definitely don't want her to hate me."

"She won't hate you, as I will make sure I explain everything to her and that it was the only way," Jasper assured Chris. "I will tell her all about mating bonds, the consequences of them and how irreversible it is at least on the vampire's side. I will explain how that once a vampire has found a mate and felt that pull that when or if the mate dies then the vampire in question will follow his or her mate into death. I will be sure to tell her that I saw kidnapping her as the only viable option."

"But that will make her hate you and I don't want that," Chris protested upset.

"It's better for her to hate me then for her to hate you," said Jasper calmly. "I can live with her hating me if I must. Besides once she is changed she may very well forget that she hated me at all if she is anything like a typical newborn."

"But we can't depend on that," said Chris

"If luck is on our side all these plans and preparations will not be necessary," said Bella.

"But it is better to be prepared just in case," Jasper countered. "It might bother me a little to have Evelyn hate me considering that she is going to be part of our family, but as long as she doesn't hate Chris I can live with it. Besides I've been hated before and I handled it then just like I will handle it this time if I must."

"You're talking about Edward aren't you?" asked Sofia already knowing the answer or thinking she did anyway.

"Not just Edward, although he is the main one I was thinking about," Jasper admitted. "In my rather violent past I have been hated a lot although none of the others hated me as much as he did but then again Edward is the only one I ever lived with for so many decades so that is perhaps the reason why he hated me so deeply."

"He had no right to hate you at all," Bella told her husband staunchly. "You had never done anything to him to make him dislike you. He hated you for no other reason then your violent past which you had no control over. I could have understood his hatred of you if you had actually done something for him to hate you for but you never did except exist."

"Well I did steal his girlfriend," Jasper suggested only half seriously

"He hated you long before I was ever born," Bella told him totally seriously not joking in the least. "It might be my breaking up with him so I could be with you that sent him over the edge but he was already unstable before that and anything could have set him off whether it had been ten, fifty or five hundred years down the road as Rose pointed that out to me a long time ago and she's right. Besides you didn't steal me I made my own decision to break up with him months before we discovered we were mates and would have done so whether we had had the mating bond or not. He hated you for no real reason at all and you and I being mates was just an excuse for him to try to not only hurt you, but his family for accepting you into their lives."

Jasper didn't respond at all as it was an old argument and one they had had several times over the years. Bella paused for a moment not even noticing as the twins headed upstairs as they had heard this argument several times over the last twenty-five years and didn't need to hear it again.

"You didn't cause Edward to go insane Jasper as he was responsible for making his own decisions, just as all of us are. He was an adult who had more then a hundred years of experiences behind him which should have made him grow up but instead he acted like a spoiled little boy who didn't get his way and so decided to get revenge for no real reason instead of accepting the situation, that he had at least partly caused through his own actions," Bella said. "How he could have known you for seventy years, lived in the same house with you, seen you everyday and still believed you were evil is still unbelievable to me even after all these years," Bella added shaking her head. "I still have trouble believing the fact that he actually thought you were controlling my emotions and that I would go back to him when you weren't around to do that."

"He actually did believe that was what I was doing and that I was just leading you on," said Jasper remembering Edward's emotions on the several occasions after he and Bella had gotten together.

"Which ought to prove that he didn't know shit about you and only because he never bothered to learn. If he had spent any time getting to know you at all instead of hating you because of your past he would have known that you were to honorable a man to do something like that for personal gain."

"Thank you, darlin'," said Jasper giving her a soft kiss. "You make me feel better about myself."

"And I will keep doing so and telling you that it isn't your fault that Edward went insane until you believe it and not just in you head but in your heart as well even if it takes the next five hundred years to do it," Bella told Jasper returning the kiss. "I know it is only natural to blame yourself for what happened as you believe you should have seen it coming, but you can't predict everyone's actions as people have free will and are also known to be unpredictable."

"You're right," Jasper acknowledged. "I'll try to put the blame squarely where it belongs. You know I often think about the fact that if I was human the incident with Edward would have faded so that I didn't remember every detail of what happened as sharp and as clear as if it had happened yesterday instead of over a century ago and along with the faded memories my guilt would have faded as well."

"You would also have long since been dust and so would I for that matter so neither of us would be worrying about anything as we would be dead for at least fifty of sixty years," Bella pointed out with a smirk.

"True enough," said Jasper taking his mate into his arms and kissing her hard. When he released her, he said seriously, "I love you, Bella, I don't tell you that nearly often enough. You make my life make sense even when nothing else does."

"You show me every day that you love me even if you don't say the words," Bella told him giving him another kiss that quickly grew passionate.

"Let's take this to our bedroom shall we," Jasper suggested his voice husky with desire and lust.

"Yes, let's," Bella agreed lust radiating off her. Both of them sped up the stairs at vampire speed and into their bedroom closing the door behind them.

Two and a half weeks later

"You ready to meet Evelyn?" asked Jasper of his two favorite girls.

"Yes," both Bella and Sofia answered at the same time nervousness just pouring off both of them. Jasper sent both of them some calm and they both smiled at him in thanks.

"Now remember to fidget every now and then, cross and uncross your legs, blink your eyes, brush a strand of hair behind your ear, that kind of thing," Jasper reminded them just as all three of them heard the sound of Chris's car pulling into the driveway.

Jasper could feel the Lyn's nervousness as well as Chris's as the front door opened and his son ushered his mate inside.

"Lyn, I would like you to meet my family," Chris said as soon as he and Lyn had entered the living room where everyone was waiting. "This is my twin sister Sofia, my adopted older brother Jasper and his wife Bella. Everyone this is Lyn whom you've all heard me talk about almost constantly since I met her." Lyn blushed at Chris's words but didn't say anything as she still seemed rather uncomfortable which none of the vampires in the room could really blame her for as they would have been just as nervous meeting their boyfriend's or girlfriend's parents for the first time.

"It's nice to meet you Evelyn," said Jasper immediately rising from his seat on the couch politely so he could shake Lyn's hand. "Welcome to our home."

Sofia of course had disguised all of them so that they looked human even though they weren't.

"It's nice to meet you, Chris talks about you all constantly," said Lyn seeming a little less nervous.

"Why don't you both take a seat," Bella suggested gently her smile putting Lyn a little more at ease then she had been since she had entered the house. "I'll just go get the cookies I prepared and be right back."

"Oh, there was no need to go to so much trouble for me," said Lyn a little self-consciously.

"It was no trouble at all," Bella assured the girl, giving her another kind smile before heading into the kitchen.

Bella came back just a minute later with a plate of cookies, a coffee server and five cups.

"Coffee Evelyn?" asked Bella politely.

"Yes, thanks," said Lyn pushing a strand of brownish blond hair behind one ear nervously.

"Cream? Sugar? Milk?" asked Bella.

"Milk and cream," answered Lyn politely and watched as Bella poured her a cup of coffee, added milk and cream and then handed it to her.

Once the coffee ritual was out of the way and everybody had a cup prepared how they liked it and had a plate with a cookie on it the questions began.

"So tell us about yourself Lyn," Bella suggested.

"Well there isn't really much to tell," Lyn began. "I grew up in Vermont. My father Mitchell and I were pretty close despite the fact that he was gone lot because he was in the military. Growing up it was mostly just my mother and me as my father kept getting assigned overseas for his tours but he was killed when I was fifteen..." A few minutes later Lyn had given them a condensed version on her life up until she had met Chris.

Lyn had relaxed a great deal as she had talked about her life and sipped her coffee.

All four vampires listened attentively as Lyn talked and when she finally fell silent Bella said sympathetically, "That must have been hard on you losing your father at just fifteen."

"In a way it was and then in a way it wasn't," said Lyn. "As much as I loved my father and will always love him he was hardly ever at home as he was a career military man."

"We always love and revere our parents no matter what kind of people they were," Jasper suggested gently.

"Exactly," Lyn agreed glad that someone understood where she was coming from. "My father loved my mother and me but he also loved serving his country and more often then not that second love won out over love of family."

"Duty and love are often incompatible with each other and eventually one will win out over the other," Jasper said quoted softly.

"Who said that?" asked Lyn curiously.

"Abigail Griffin who was born August 25, 2133 and died January 4, 2183 in a hover car accident at the age of just forty-nine."

"I've never heard of her," said Lyn, "and she didn't die that many years ago."

"She wrote a series of historical novels so unless you read that kind of thing I'm not surprised that you've never heard of her," said Jasper smiling a little which lit up his whole face and made someone immediately want to smile back.

There was silence for a few minutes as Lyn ate a cookie and sipped her tea slowly and the four vampires pretended to do the same. In the four vampires cases though the cookie each held was crumbled a bit at a time and then quickly slipped into a pocket at vampire speed when Lyn wasn't looking in their direction. To almost anybody it would have looked as if the cookies had been eaten even though they had not been.

"So what has my brother told you about our family?" asked Sofia speaking for the first time since Lyn had entered the house.

"Just the basics really," said Lyn. "He told me that you and he lost your parents at the age of nine and both of you went to a foster home but then your foster parents died and you were almost immediately adopted by the Whitlocks who then died a few years ago."

Part of what Lyn said was the truth and the rest was a complete fabrication but it wasn't like Chris could tell her the whole truth or their real history, at least he couldn't until she knew about vampires.

Lyn finished her third cookie and took the last sip of her coffee before placing her cup back on her saucer that was sitting on the coffee table in front of her.

The five of them continued chatting for a few minutes and Jasper, Bella and Sofia each told a few amusing anecdotes about Chris that would have had him blushing if he had been able but instead had him glaring at the three guilty parties his expression promising revenge at a later date.

Lyn laughed at some of the antics her boyfriend had gotten up to which made Chris relax a little as he loved to hear her laugh although he till swore payback on the three culprits.

"I suppose I should be going," said Lyn somewhat reluctantly as she looked at her wrist talker and saw how late it was getting.

"I'll drive you home," said Chris immediately rising from his seat and grabbing his keys from where he had laid them earlier.

"Thank you for the coffee and the cookies," Lyn told the three vampires. "I enjoyed myself more this afternoon then I expected to."

"You're welcome," said Bella already liking Lyn a great deal which is why she hoped and prayed that things worked out

"You're welcome to come over at anytime, just make sure you call first as a lot of times we aren't here," said Jasper shaking Lyn's hand again.

"I'm not even sure I could find this place without Chris to bring me as it really is out in the middle of nowhere."

"We like our privacy," Bella explained simply. "This way we don't have any nosy neighbors bothering us and if we want company we simply go into town."

Jasper felt Lyn's curiosity and hoped that Bella hadn't just made a colossal blunder as it was way to soon for Lyn to start questioning their need for privacy as just that one question would open a can of worms that he did not want to have to deal with. Jasper gave an inaudible sigh of relief as Lyn's curiosity faded as she finally seemed to decide that they were just very private people who didn't like to be pestered constantly by the people in the neighborhood which is why they lived away from the city and out in the country.

"We hope to see you again soon," said Jasper genuinely meaning it as he liked Lyn to and thought that she would fit in well with the rest of the family. Chris took Lyn's hand in his and led her out the door and to his car once the goodbyes were over.

All three vampires watched out the window as Chris acting the gentleman opened the passenger door for his girlfriend and then walk around the car to get in the driver's side. As the car slowly backed out of the driveway Jasper could almost feel the changes that were coming. He was no seer like Alice had been but he had been around for a long time and so could feel that things were about to majorly change and whether the changes would be for the better or not was yet to be determined.

"Changes are coming," Bella whispered in an uncanny echo of Jasper's thoughts of just a few seconds earlier.

"Yes, they are," Jasper agreed putting his arm around his wife's shoulder. "I just hope that these changes are for the better and not trouble that we don't need."

"I suppose we'll just have to wait and see and hope for the best and be prepared for the worst," said Bella trying her best to not be pessimistic.

"Don't worry we will handle whatever comes our way whether good or bad just like we have in the past and more than likely will in the future," Jasper assured his wife giving her a brief, but passionate kiss.

The three vampires turned away from the window now that Chris's car was out of sight and headed off to do their own things until Chris got back from taking his mate home.

The End


End file.
